Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors
Heifer International



Home > Press > UCSB researchers show how to make polymeric micro- and nanoparticles

Abstract:
Creating the particles essential to understanding the role of shape in particle function

UCSB researchers show how to make polymeric micro- and nanoparticles

Santa Barbara, CA | Posted on July 9th, 2007

Researchers in the College of Engineering at UC Santa Barbara have discovered how to make polymeric micro- and nanoparticles in a wide variety of different shapes and sizes using commonly-available lab chemicals and equipment. Knowing how to create these particles in the average laboratory environment will facilitate further discovery, as the particles are essential to understanding the role of shape in particle function. Their research is published in today's online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Polymeric micro- and nanoparticles are used in a wide range of applications including medical imaging, drug delivery, and beauty and personal care products. These applications typically use spherical particles. While making particles in other shapes could be extremely useful, fabricating shapes other than spheres has been technically challenging.

The research team, led by Samir Mitragotri, a professor of chemical engineering, with Julie Champion, a graduate student, and Yogesh Katare, a post-doctoral researcher, used spherical polystyrene beads as a starting point. In one approach, the beads were liquefied by heat or solvents and then stretched. In the second, the beads were embedded in a polyvinyl alcohol film and the film was stretched to create voids around the beads. These voids were then filled by liquefying the beads using heat or solvent. From these two simple techniques, more than 20 different shapes were formed, ranging from simple rods and eggs to lenses, diamonds, food-shaped ravioli and tacos.

The methods used to create the potpourri of micro- and nanoparticles allow the researchers to control the size and shape of the particles created, a crucial factor in the development of nonspeherical particles in a variety of fields, including drug delivery, microbiology, advanced materials and rheology. This research was funded by the NIH program of excellence in nanotechnology.

####

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
Barbara Bronson Gray
818.889.5415


Samir Mitragotri
805.893.7532

Copyright © University of California - Santa Barbara

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related News Press

Nanomedicine

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Discoveries

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks March 8th, 2024

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Materials/Metamaterials/Magnetoresistance

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Focused ion beam technology: A single tool for a wide range of applications January 12th, 2024

Catalytic combo converts CO2 to solid carbon nanofibers: Tandem electrocatalytic-thermocatalytic conversion could help offset emissions of potent greenhouse gas by locking carbon away in a useful material January 12th, 2024

Announcements

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE




  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More











ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project