Water-actuated microcapsules fabricated by microfluidics.

We found a new water-actuated feature of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microgels and fabricated microcapsules with this feature based on microfluidic double emulsions. The microcapsules would release encapsulated actives by simple hydration, while forming biphasic hybrid microparticles by gradual dehydration. More complex microcapsules and hybrid microparticles could be produced by varying flow rates and inner oil types. These novel microcapsules could potentially be used for controllable storage or release of chemicals, fabrication of complex microparticles and applications in biochemical fields.