August 1, 2016
Tiny bubbles or glass microspheres/microcapsules are used in our society today in many ways. The microspheres can be solid or hollow and represent particles that are generally in the range of 0.1–100 lm. Solid and hollow microspheres have significantly different densities, properties, and capabilities and are commercially available. Special morphologies, formulations, and compositions can also be achieved by a variety of techniques in the laboratory. One of the most interesting morphologies of these tiny bubbles, are porous wall hollow glass microspheres, which are glass micro-balloons in which through-wall porosity was induced in the thin outer shells and controlled, on a scale of 10–100 nm. This unique porosity can be used to fill the microspheres with a variety of cargos of various contents that can later be released on demand. For medical applications, an interdisciplinary team investigated these tiny bubbles, as part of a new series of composites or medical cocktails. The microspheres are key components in the composites and can be used alone or mixed in various amounts and ratios, with a variety of contents, outer coatings, and/or biocompatible matrices, resulting in a wide range of medical cocktails designed and tailored for various applications.
Read more of this research by Drs. George G. Wicks, Williams D. Hill and Paul M. Weinberger here.