Yanagisawa Miho, Watanabe Chiho, Fujiwara Kei
Department of Applied Physics, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Naka-cho 2-24-16, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan.
Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan.
Gels. 2018 Mar 28;4(2):29. doi: 10.3390/gels4020029.
Microgels-small gels of submicron to micron size-are widely used in food, cosmetics and biomedical applications because of their biocompatibility and/or fast response to external environments. However, the properties of "single" microgels have not been characterized due to limitations in preparation technologies and measurement methods for single microgels with sizes in the multi-micrometer range. The synthesis of multiple shapes of single microgels and their characterization are important for further functionalization and application of gel-based materials. In this review, we explain the recent advancements in microgel fabrication and characterization methods for single microgels. The first topic discussed includes the self-assembly methods for single microgel fabrication using physical phenomena such as phase separation, interfacial wetting and buckling instability. The second topic deals with methods for analyzing the mechanics of single microgels and the differences between their mechanical characteristics and those of bulk gels. The recent progress in the fabrication and characterization of single microgels will bring important insights to the design and functionalization of gel-based materials.
微凝胶——亚微米到微米尺寸的小凝胶——因其生物相容性和/或对外部环境的快速响应而被广泛应用于食品、化妆品和生物医学领域。然而，由于制备技术和测量方法的限制，对于尺寸在多微米范围内的单个微凝胶，其“单一”性质尚未得到表征。合成多种形状的单个微凝胶并对其进行表征对于基于凝胶的材料的进一步功能化和应用至关重要。在这篇综述中，我们阐述了单个微凝胶制造和表征方法的最新进展。讨论的第一个主题包括利用相分离、界面润湿和屈曲不稳定性等物理现象制备单个微凝胶的自组装方法。第二个主题涉及分析单个微凝胶力学的方法以及它们的力学特性与块状凝胶力学特性之间的差异。单个微凝胶制造和表征的最新进展将为基于凝胶的材料的设计和功能化带来重要见解。
