Polysaccharide/Lipid Nanoconjugates as Alternative Building Blocks for Highly Biocompatible Microcapsules

Saccharide/lipid nanoconjugates are attractive building blocks for the construction of micro-and nanosized structures because of the roles of glycolipids in human body, courtesy of their intrinsic and functional properties. Herein, nanoconjugates based on dextran and oleic acid (Dex-OA) were synthesized via facile amide-linkage chemistry. The resultant DexOA micelles could self-assemble into spherical water-filled microcapsules via a water-in-oil emulsification process. By cross linking, the microcapsules could be transferred to aqueous media, forming a stable microcapsule dispersion. According to optical and fluorescence microscopy, the microcapsules displayed a spherical morphology, and their synthesis is dependent on the concentration of Dex-OA nanoconjugates. Furthermore, the microcapsules could easily encapsulate and retain fluorescently labeled dextran. This strategy offers a robust and efficient method for the construction of microcapsules from fully natural amphiphilic building blocks with the potential for application in diverse fields such as biomedicine, protocell research, and microreactors.

Automated summary

In this study, nanoconjugates based on Dex-OA were synthesized and self-assembled into microcapsules through a water-in-oil emulsification process. The morphology of the microcapsules depended on the concentration of Dex-OA nanoconjugates, and they were able to encapsulate and retain fluorescently labeled dextran. This strategy provides a feasible method for constructing microcapsules using natural amphiphilic building blocks.