Core-Shell Capsules Based on Supramolecular Hydrogels Show Shell-Related Erosion and Release Due to Confinement
writer：Mingyu Guo, Xiaoyu Cao, E. W. Meijer, Patricia Y. W. Dankers*
keywords：core–shell polymers; drug delivery systems; hydrogels; supramolecular structures; swelling
source：期刊
specific source：Macromol. Biosci. 2013,13, 77-83.
Issue time：2013年
Hydrogel-containing core–shell capsules are useful as drug delivery vehicles for many
biomedical applications, especially when release of incorporated guests can be controlled.
Here, we developed a one-step organic solvent-free method to prepare such core–shell
capsules using a synthetic and a natural supramolecular hydrogel, for the core and shell, respectively. A solution containing ureido-pyrimidinone modified poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogelators and calcium chloride was drop-wise added to an alginate solution,
yielding core–shell structures. It was found that the outer shell provides a confined space for the inner supramolecular hydrogel and therefore prevents swelling of the core. This consequently slows down both erosion of the less stable core, and release of dextran
guests.