The development of facile and versatile strategies for thin-film and particle engineering is of immense scientific interest. However, few methods can conformally coat substrates of different composition, size, shape, and structure. We report the one-step coating of various interfaces using coordination complexes of natural polyphenols and Fe(III) ions. Film formation is initiated by the adsorption of the polyphenol and directed by pH-dependent, multivalent coordination bonding. Aqueous deposition is performed on a range of planar as well as inorganic, organic, and biological particle templates, demonstrating an extremely rapid technique for producing structurally diverse, thin films and capsules that can disassemble. The ease, low cost, and scalability of the assembly process, combined with pH responsiveness and negligible cytotoxicity, makes these films potential candidates for biomedical and environmental applications.

Methods for depositing thin films are important in generating functional materials for diverse applications in a wide variety of fields. Over the last half-century, the layer-by-layer assembly of nanoscale films has received intense and growing interest. This has been fueled by innovation in the available materials and assembly technologies, as well as the film-characterization techniques. In this Review, we explore, discuss, and detail innovation in layer-by-layer assembly in terms of past and present developments, and we highlight how these might guide future advances. A particular focus is on conventional and early developments that have only recently regained interest in the layer-by-layer assembly field. We then review unconventional assemblies and approaches that have been gaining popularity, which include inorganic/organic hybrid materials, cells and tissues, and the use of stereocomplexation, patterning, and dip-pen lithography, to name a few. A relatively recent development is the use of layer-by-layer assembly materials and techniques to assemble films in a single continuous step. We name this "quasi"-layer-by-layer assembly and discuss the impacts and innovations surrounding this approach. Finally, the application of characterization methods to monitor and evaluate layer-by-layer assembly is discussed, as innovation in this area is often overlooked but is essential for development of the field. While we intend for this Review to be easily accessible and act as a guide to researchers new to layer-by-layer assembly, we also believe it will provide insight to current researchers in the field and help guide future developments and innovation.

The biomimetic mineralization of metal-organic framework (MOF) material on living cells is reported. ZIF-8 can be crystallized on a living cell surface as an exoskeleton that offers physical protection while allowing transport of essential nutrients, thus maintaining cell viability. The MOF shell prevents cell division, leading to an artificially induced pseudo-hibernation state. Cellular functions can be fully restored upon MOF removal.

The organized assembly of particles into superstructures is typically governed by specific molecular interactions or external directing factors associated with the particle building blocks, both of which are particle-dependent. These superstructures are of interest to a variety of fields because of their distinct mechanical, electronic, magnetic and optical properties. Here, we establish a facile route to a diverse range of superstructures based on the polyphenol surface-functionalization of micro- and nanoparticles, nanowires, nanosheets, nanocubes and even cells. This strategy can be used to access a large number of modularly assembled superstructures, including core-satellite, hollow and hierarchically organized supraparticles. Colloidal-probe atomic force microscopy and molecular dynamics simulations provide detailed insights into the role of surface functionalization and how this facilitates superstructure construction. Our work provides a platform for the rapid generation of superstructured assemblies across a wide range of length scales, from nanometres to centimetres.

We report a facile approach to immobilize pH-cleavable polymer-drug conjugates in mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) capsules for intracellular drug delivery. Our design takes advantage of the facile PDA coating to form capsules, the chemical reactivity of PDA films, and the acid-labile groups in polymer side chains for sustained pH-induced drug release. The anticancer drug doxorubicin (Dox) was conjugated to thiolated poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA(SH)) with a pH-cleavable hydrazone bond, and then immobilized in PDA capsules via robust thiol-catechol reactions between the polymer-drug conjugate and capsule walls. The loaded Dox showed limited release at physiological pH but significant release (over 85%) at endosomal/lysosomal pH. Cell viability assays showed that Dox-loaded PDA capsules enhanced the efficacy of eradicating HeLa cancer cells compared with free drug under the same assay conditions. The reported method provides a new platform for the application of stimuli-responsive PDA capsules as drug delivery systems.

The preparation of monodisperse polymer (polydopamine, PDA) capsules by a one‐step interfacial polymerization of dopamine onto dimethyldiethoxysilane (DMDES) emulsion droplets and removal of the DMDES templates with ethanol is reported. The diameters of the PDA capsules can be tailored from 400 nm to 2.4 µm by varying either the DMDES emulsion condensation time or the emulsion concentration used for templating. Further, capsules with defined nanometer‐scale shell thicknesses (ranging from ∼10 to 30 nm) can be prepared by adjusting the emulsion concentration. This shell thickness can be increased by repeated interfacial polymerization of dopamine, with three cycles yielding capsules with a shell thickness of up to 140 nm (for a 0.6% v/v suspension). Functional substances, such as organically stabilized magnetic (Fe3O4) nanoparticles, quantum dots (CdSe/CdS), and hydrophobic drugs (thiocoraline), can be preloaded in the emulsion droplets, and following PDA coating and DMDES removal, these materials remain encapsulated in the polymer capsules. All of the unloaded and loaded PDA capsules are monodisperse and do not aggregate. This work provides new avenues for the preparation of polymer capsules with defined size and shell thickness and for the encapsulation of a range of hydrophobic substances.

The rational design and engineering of metal-organic framework (MOF) crystals with hollow features has been used for various applications. Here, a top-down strategy is established to construct hollow MOFs via synergistic etching and surface functionalization by using phenolic acid. The macrosized cavities are created inside various types of MOFs without destroying the parent crystalline framework, as evidenced by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The modifi ed MOFs are simultaneously coated by metal-phenolic fi lms. This coating endows the MOFs with the additional functionality of responding to near infrared irradiation to produce heat for potential photothermal therapy applications.

We report the engineering of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel particles using a mesoporous silica (MS) templating method via tuning the PEG molecular weight, particle size, and the presence or absence of the template and investigate the cell association and biodistribution of these particles. An ex vivo assay based on human whole blood that is more sensitive and relevant than traditional cell-line based assays for predicting in vivo circulation behavior is introduced. The association of MS@PEG particles (template present) with granulocytes and monocytes is higher compared with PEG particles (template absent). Increasing the PEG molecular weight (from 10 to 40 kDa) or decreasing the PEG particle size (from 1400 to 150 nm) reduces phagocytic blood cell association of the PEG particles. Mice biodistribution studies show that the PEG particles exhibit extended circulation times (>12 h) compared with the MS@PEG particles and that the retention of smaller PEG particles (150 nm) in blood, when compared with larger PEG particles (>400 nm), is increased at least 4-fold at 12 h after injection. Our findings highlight the influence of unique aspects of polymer hydrogel particles on biological interactions. The reported PEG hydrogel particles represent a new class of polymer carriers with potential biomedical applications.