Polymersomes are robust vesicles made from amphiphilic block co-polymers. Large populations of uniform giant polymersomes with defined, entrapped species can be made by templating of double-emulsions using microfluidics. In the present study, a series of two enzymatic reactions, one inside and the other outside of the polymersome, were designed to induce rupture of polymersomes. We measured how...

We create long polymer nanotubes by directly pulling on the membrane of polymersomes using either optical tweezers or a micropipette. The polymersomes are composed of amphiphilic diblock copolymers, and the nanotubes formed have an aqueous core connected to the aqueous interior of the polymersome. We stabilize the pulled nanotubes by subsequent chemical cross-linking. The cross-linked nanotubes...

We present a versatile technique for fabricating polymersomes in glass-coated stamped microfluidic devices. We use templates comprised of double emulsions with a shell of block copolymers dissolved in organic solvents. The double emulsions direct the assembly of amphiphilic diblock copolymers into polymersomes during evaporation of the organic solvents. Our device consists of a single cross jun...

Capillary microfluidic devices are used to prepare monodisperse polymersomes consisting of a hydrogel core and a bilayer membrane of amphiphilic diblock-copolymers. To make polymersomes, water-in-oil-in-water double-emulsion drops are prepared as templates through single-step emulsification in a capillary microfluidic device. The amphiphile-laden middle oil phase of the double-emulsion drop dew...

In article number 2200199, Chao Zhao and co-workers report emulsion-induced polymersomes. Through a simple emulsification process, the polymer forms polymersomes within seconds, formed effectively encapsulate water-soluble drugs in them.

Polymer vesicles polymersomes are vesicles obtained from the self-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers in aqueous solution as a result of free-energy minimization. Their potential use as drug delivery systems, sensors, and/or nanoreactors has recently attracted a great deal of interest. Polymersomes exhibit larger mechanical stability and lower permeability than liposomes, their structural ...

Polymeric vesicles or polymersomes are one of the supramolecular entities at the leading edge of synthetic biology. These small compartments have shown to be feasible candidates as nanoreactors, especially for enzymatic reactions. Once cross-linked and equipped with a pH sensitive material, the reaction can be switched off (pH 8) and on (pH 6) in accordance with the increased permeability of th...

Gold nanorods (GNRs) are well known in photothermal therapy based on near-infrared (NIR) laser absorption of the longitudinal plasmon band. Herein, we developed an effective stimulus system -- GNRs and doxorubicin co-loaded polymersomes (P-GNRs-DOX) -- to facilitate co-therapy of photothermal and chemotherapy. DOX can be triggered to release once the polymersomes are corrupted under local hyper...

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the deadliest form of breast cancer and its successful treatment critically depends on early diagnosis and therapy. The hyaluronic acid-binding p32 protein is overexpressed in TNBC, specifically in macrophages in hypoxic areas of the tumor. Here we used polyethylene glycol-polycaprolactone (PEG-PCL) polymersomes that were affinity targeted with the p32-bi...

We describe a versatile technique for fabricating monodisperse polymersomes with biocompatible and biodegradable diblock copolymers for efficient encapsulation of actives. We use double emulsion as a template for the assembly of amphiphilic diblock copolymers into vesicle structures. These polymersomes can be used to encapsulate small hydrophilic solutes. When triggered by an osmotic shock, the...