Issue 7, 2021

An off-the-shelf microfluidic device for the controllable fabrication of multiple-holed hollow particles and their cell culture applications

Abstract

The microfluidic droplet method has excellent promise for preparing hollow particles because it can be versatile in realizing multi-level size distribution and scalable in production. However, the application of this method is still limited due to the complexity of the device preparation process. Here, an off-the-shelf microfluidic device is developed for the fast and straightforward fabrication of highly uniform multiple-holed hollow particles. Most importantly, the structure, size, morphology, and properties of the particles can be easily adjusted by varying the fabrication conditions, including the diameter of the capillaries, the flow rate of the water and oil phases, the start polymerization time, and the composition of the emulsion droplets. Therefore, the developed device provides a powerful platform for the controllable fabrication of multiple-holed hollow particles with exceptionally diverse structures and properties. Furthermore, well-ordered hollow particle arrays were quickly fabricated for three-dimensional (3D) cell culture by a simple molding method. HepG2 3D tumor spheroids with excellent viability and uniformity were efficiently produced using the particle arrays. Thus, the multiple-holed hollow particles will offer a unique opportunity for application in various cell-based research studies.

Graphical abstract: An off-the-shelf microfluidic device for the controllable fabrication of multiple-holed hollow particles and their cell culture applications

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
03 Dec 2020
Accepted
12 Feb 2021
First published
24 Feb 2021

Mater. Chem. Front., 2021,5, 3149-3158

An off-the-shelf microfluidic device for the controllable fabrication of multiple-holed hollow particles and their cell culture applications

L. Sun, T. Li, B. Zhang, M. Zhang, J. Xu and J. Wang, Mater. Chem. Front., 2021, 5, 3149 DOI: 10.1039/D0QM01014F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements