posted on 2020-03-06, 20:36authored bySiyu Shi, Linlin Zhang, Guolin Zhang, Ximing Song, Dayin Sun, Fuxin Liang, Zhenzhong Yang
We
report a new jellyfish-like Janus polymeric cage and its synthesis
by two-step emulsion interfacial polymerization. The “head”
part is generated by the free-radical polymerization of styrene/divinylbenzene
in the paraffin emulsion droplet. A hydrophilic polymer layer, for
example, polyacrylamide is coated onto the exposed side of the head
by further feeding the monomer during the polymerization. The “belly”
part is achieved in the second emulsion interfacial polymerization
by copolymerizing the hydrophobic monomers in the internal paraffin
phase with hydrophilic monomers such as acrylic acid in the external
aqueous phase. The “head” and “belly”
parts are covalently connected, making the Janus cage robust in solvents.
The “belly” shell is composed of a hydrophobic interior
surface and a hydrophilic exterior surface, which are responsible
for selective loading of organic species from the aqueous surroundings.
The Janus contour surface of the cage is responsible for delivering
the cargo toward the targets.