A newly designed 3D core-shell microcapsule structure composed of a cell-containing liquid core and an alginate hydrogel shell is fabricated using a coaxial dual-nozzle electrospinning system. Spherical alginate microcapsules are successfully generated with a core-shell structure and less than 300 μm in average diameter using this system. The thickness of the core and shell can be easily controlled by manipulating the core and shell flow rates. Cells encapsulated in core-shell microcapsules demonstrate better cell encapsulation and immune protection than those encapsulated in microbeads. The observation of a high percentage of live cells (≈80%) after encapsulation demonstrates that the voltage applied for generation of microcapsules does not significantly affect the viability of encapsulated cells. The viability of encapsulated cells does not change even after 3 d in culture, which suggests that the core-shell structure with culture medium in the core can maintain high cell survival by providing nutrients and oxygen to all cells. This newly designed core-shell structure can be extended to use in multifunctional platforms not only for delivery of cells but also for factor delivery, imaging, or diagnosis by loading other components in the core or shell.

Shape memory polyurethane (SMPU), flexibly crosslinked via a polyethyleneglycol (PEG) spacer attached to its side through an allophanate group, was tested for shape memory and compared with a linear SMPU. The new SMPU was composed of 4,4′‐methylenebis(phenylisocyanate) (MDI), poly(tetramethyleneglycol) (PTMG‐2000), and 1,4‐butanediol (BD), and included polyethyleneglycol (PEG‐200) as a spacer. A second MDI, linked to the carbamate group of the first MDI, served as the connecting point for the PEG‐200. Two types of SMPU, differing according to their soft segment (PTMG‐2000) and linker (PEG‐200) contents, were compared in mechanical and shape memory properties. In the best case, a 780% increase in maximum stress was attained without any sacrifice in strain for the new material compared with the linear polymer. In particular, the stress–strain curve showed that the PEG‐crosslinked SMPU had superior tensile mechanical properties. Its shape recovery was as high as 99%, which is the best value we have measured for an SMPU. After four cyclic tests, shape recovery remained greater than 95%. Shape retention of the best SMPU remained above 93% even after four cyclic tests. Here, results demonstrating the extraordinary shape memory properties of these types of SMPU, together with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and infrared spectroscopy data, are analyzed and discussed. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers

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An inorganic thermochromic material based on Cr-doped Al2O3 is synthesized using a solid-state method. The crystal structure, chemical composition, and morphology of the synthesized material are analyzed using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy coupled with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The color performances of the synthesized material are analyzed using a UV-VIS spectrometer. Finally, the thermochromism exhibited by the powdered samples at high temperatures is investigated. The material exhibits exceptional thermochromic property, transitioning from pink to gray or green in a temperature range of 25–600 °C. The change in color is reversible and is dependent on the surrounding temperature and chromium concentration; however, it is independent of the exposure time. This novel property of Cr-doped Al2O3 can be potentially employed in reversible thermochromic sensors that could be used not only for warning users of damage due to overheating when the environmental temperature exceeds certain limits, but also for detecting and monitoring the temperature of various devices, such as aeronautical engine components, hotplates, and furnaces.

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