POLYMERIC CAPSULES AND PARTICLES FOR ENCAPSULATION AND SELECTIVE RELEASE OF BIOMACROMOLECULES

Abstract

POLYMERIC COLLOIDAL PARTICLES SUCH AS POLYELECTROLYTE MULTILAYER CAPSULES AND HYDROGEL PARTICLES REPRESENT A WIDELY STUDIED CLASS OF COLLOIDS WITH REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS SPANNING A HUGE RANGE OF DIFFERENT FIELDS. A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE REVIEW ON HYDROGEL PARTICLES AND POLYELECTROLYTE MULTILAYER CAPSULES IS COVERED IN CHAPTER 2. POLYELECTROLYTE MULTILAYER CAPSULES ARE FUNCTIONAL CARRIERS WIDELY UTILIZED FOR THE ENCAPSULATION AND DELIVERY OF BIOMOLECULES, FOOD INGREDIENTS OR COSMETICS AND HYDROGEL PARTICLES ARE COMMONLY USED FOR CELL ENCAPSULATION, AS SCAFFOLDS IN TISSUE ENGINEERING OR GEL MATRIX IN IONIC EXCHANGE OR SIZE EXCLUSION CHROMATOGRAPHY.

REMARKABLY, DESPITE THEIR WIDE VARIETY OF APPLICATIONS AND ADVANTAGES, POLYELECTROLYTE CAPSULES AND HYDROGEL PARTICLES HAVE REMAINED AS SEPARATE ENTITIES. IN THIS PH.D. WORK, WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPED A UNIFIED APPROACH WHICH MERGES THE FUNCTIONALITIES AND PROPERTIES OF POLYELECTROLYTE CAPSULES AND HYDROGEL PARTICLES TO CREATE AN IN