Active material immobilized in stable hydrogel microbeads
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorDouglas Quong
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microbead comprising pheromone encapsulated in a coacervate shell is provided. The coacervate shell is entrained in a hydrogel microbead without chemical crosslinking. The microbeads of the present invention are capable of dehydration and rehydration to release of pheromone to the intended environment.
Claims16
A method of encapsulating a pheromone, comprising:
- a) providing a solution comprising a first polymer capable of forming a microcapsule by complex coacervation;
- a pheromone;
- and a second polymer, said second polymer being capable of forming a microcapsule by complex coacervation with the composition comprising the first polymer;
- b) establishing a microcapsule having a coacervation shell without chemical crosslinking of said shell;
- c) adding a third polymer, said third polymer being suitable to form a hydrogel microbead, in an amount effective to form a microcapsule containing composition;
- and
- d) spraying the microcapsule containing composition into a coordination solution, thereby providing stable hydrogel microbeads comprising microcapsules having a coacervation shell without chemical crosslinking.
A pheromone containing hydrogel microbead comprising microcapsules, said microcapsules further comprising pheromones encapsulated within a coacervate shell that has not been crosslinked with aldehyde, ketone, or acid, said microcapsule being entrained within a hydrogel complex.
A method of retaining and delivering pheromone comprising:
- a) providing a solution comprising a first polymer capable of forming a microcapsule by complex coacervation;
- a pheromone;
- and a second polymer, said second polymer being capable of forming a microcapsule by complex coacervation with the composition comprising the first polymer;
- b) establishing a microcapsule having a coacervation shell without chemical crosslinking of said shell;
- c) adding a third polymer, said third polymer being suitable to form a hydrogel microbead, in an amount to effective form a microcapsule containing composition;
- d) spraying the microcapsule containing composition into a coordination solution, thereby providing stable hydrogel microbeads, comprising microcapsules having a coacervation shell without chemical crosslinking;
- and
- e) delivering said hydrogel microbeads onto a substrate in an intended environment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.