Microparticles: Small 3/2010

The cover image depicts a collage of confocal laser scanning micrographs and scanning electron micrographs of biodegradable bicompartmental microparticles of different shapes and sizes made from poly(lactide-co-glycolide) produced via electrohydrodynamic co-jetting. In this process, two polymer solutions labeled with different fluorophores are introduced via two parallel capillaries to generate a composite “bicompartmental” droplet. Application of an electric field results in an electrified jet, wherein solvent evaporation causes the formation of particles, which are confined in bicompartmental architecture. Control over the solution and process parameters creates an array of particle sizes and controls the shapes of the bicompartmental particles. Such particles may find applications in drug delivery, diagnostics, and biosensing. For more information, please read the Full Paper “Towards Designer Microparticles: Simultaneous Control of Anisotropy, Shape, and Size” by J. Lahann et al., beginning on page 404.