Nested supramolecular capsules
AssigneeCambridge Enterprise Limited
InventorsJing ZHANG, Roger COULSTON, Richard PARKER, Christopher ABELL, Oren SCHERMAN, Ziyi YU
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Abstract
A nested capsule having a first capsule held within a second capsule. Each of the first and second capsules has a shell that is a supramolecular cross-linked network, such as a cucurbituril supramolecular cross-linked network. Each capsule shell is obtained or is obtainable from the complexation of a composition including a host, such as cucurbituril, and one or more building blocks having suitable guest functionality for the host, thereby to form a supramolecular cross-linked network. The nested capsules are suitable for delivering and selectively releasing an encapsulant at a location.
Claims29
A nested capsule comprising a first capsule held within a second capsule, and each of the first and second capsules has a shell that is a supramolecular cross-linked network.
A method for the preparation of a nested capsule, the method comprising the steps of:
- (i) providing a first capsule, wherein the first capsule has a shell that is a supramolecular cross-linked network;
- (ii) encapsulating the first capsule within a shell of a second capsule, wherein the shell of the second capsule is a supramolecular cross-linked network, thereby to form a nested capsule.
A method for the preparation of a nested capsule, the method comprising the steps of:
- (i) providing a first droplet within a second droplet, wherein each of the first and second droplets has at its interface components suitable for forming a shell that is a supramolecular cross-linked network;
- (ii) permitting the components of the first and the second droplet to form a supramolecular cross-linked network, thereby to form a nested capsule.
A capsule having a shell that is a covalently cross-linked network, wherein the network is obtainable from a supramolecular cross-linked network by the ternary complexation of a composition comprising a host and one or more building blocks having suitable guest functionality, thereby to form a supramolecular cross-linked network, wherein the covalent cross-links are obtainable from the reaction of the guests held in the ternary complex.
A method of covalently linking or cross-linking building blocks, the method comprising the steps of:
- (i) providing a non-covalently linked building block or building block, wherein the non-covalent linked is formed from a ternary complex of a host holding first and second guest molecules provided on the building blocks;
- (ii) permitting the building blocks to react, thereby to form a covalent bond linking the building block or the building blocks.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.