Dataset Information

Droplet-Based Microfluidic Preparation of Shape-Variable Alginate Hydrogel Magnetic Micromotors.

ABSTRACT: This article introduces a facile droplet-based microfluidic method for the preparation of Fe₃O₄-incorporated alginate hydrogel magnetic micromotors with variable shapes. By using droplet-based microfluidics and water diffusion, monodisperse (quasi-)spherical microparticles of sodium alginate and Fe₃O₄ (Na-Alg/Fe₃O₄) are obtained. The diameter varies from 31.9 to 102.7 µm with the initial concentration of Na-Alginate in dispersed fluid ranging from 0.09 to 9 mg/mL. Calcium chloride (CaCl₂) is used for gelation, immediately transforming Na-Alg/Fe₃O₄ microparticles into Ca-Alginate hydrogel microparticles incorporating Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, i.e., Ca-Alg/Fe₃O₄ micromotors. Spherical, droplet-like, and worm-like shapes are yielded depending on the concentration of CaCl₂, which is explained by crosslinking and anisotropic swelling during the gelation. The locomotion of Ca-Alg/Fe₃O₄ micromotors is activated by applying external magnetic fields. Under the rotating magnetic field (5 mT, 1-15 Hz), spherical Ca-Alg/Fe₃O₄ micromotors exhibit an average advancing velocity up to 158.2 ± 8.6 µm/s, whereas worm-like Ca-Alg/Fe₃O₄ micromotors could be rotated for potential advancing. Under the magnetic field gradient (3 T/m), droplet-like Ca-Alg/Fe₃O₄ micromotors are pulled forward with the average velocity of 70.7 ± 2.8 µm/s. This article provides an inspiring and timesaving approach for the preparation of shape-variable hydrogel micromotors without using complex patterns or sophisticated facilities, which holds potential for biomedical applications such as targeted drug delivery.

SUBMITTER: Zhang C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8796028 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:The implementation of inorganic adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals from industrial effluents generates secondary waste. Therefore, scientists and environmentalists are looking for environmentally friendly adsorbents isolated from biobased materials for the efficient removal of heavy metals from industrial effluents. This study aimed to fabricate and characterize an environmentally friendly composite bio-sorbent as an initiative toward greener environmental remediation technology. The properties of cellulose, chitosan, magnetite, and alginate were exploited to fabricate a composite hydrogel bead. The cross linking and encapsulation of cellulose, chitosan, alginate, and magnetite in hydrogel beads were successfully conducted through a facile method without any chemicals used during the synthesis. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis verified the presence of element signals of N, Ca, and Fe on the surface of the composite bio-sorbents. The appearance and peak's shifting at 3330-3060 cm-1 in the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis of the composite cellulose-magnetite-alginate, chitosan-magnetite-alginate, and cellulose-chitosan-magnetite-alginate suggested that there are overlaps of O-H and N-H and weak interaction of hydrogen bonding with the Fe3O4 particles. Material degradation, % mass loss, and thermal stability of the material and synthesized composite hydrogel beads were determined through thermogravimetric analysis. The onset temperature of the composite cellulose-magnetite-alginate, chitosan-magnetite-alginate, and cellulose-chitosan-magnetite-alginate hydrogel beads were observed to be lower compared to raw-material cellulose and chitosan, which could be due to the formation of weak hydrogen bonding resulting from the addition of magnetite Fe3O4. The higher mass residual of cellulose-magnetite-alginate (33.46%), chitosan-magnetite-alginate (37.09%), and cellulose-chitosan-magnetite-alginate (34.40%) compared to cellulose (10.94%) and chitosan (30.82%) after degradation at a temperature of 700 °C shows that the synthesized composite hydrogel beads possess better thermal stability, owing to the addition of magnetite and the encapsulation in the alginate hydrogel beads.

Dataset Information

Droplet-Based Microfluidic Preparation of Shape-Variable Alginate Hydrogel Magnetic Micromotors.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets