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Environmentally friendly calcium carbonate-polydopamine microcapsules with superior mechanical, barrier, and adhesive properties
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Environmentally friendly calcium carbonate-polydopamine microcapsules with superior mechanical, barrier, and adhesive properties

Daniele Baiocco, Benjamin Lobel, Mohammed Al-Sharabi, Olivier J. Cayre, Alexander F. Routh and Zhibing Zhang
Sustainable Materials and Technologies, Vol.41, e01001
2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susmat.2024.e01001
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Published3.45 MBDownloadView
CC BY V4.0,  Open Access

Abstract

Bio-adhesion Bio-inspired Green microencapsulation Micromanipulation Sustainability
There is a rising need to deliver perfume molecules to fabric surfaces during washing cycles to enhance consumers' perception. With upcoming regulations phasing out intentionally produced microplastics by 2027, the focus is on sustainable alternatives to conventional non-biodegradable synthetic microcapsules (e.g. melamine-formaldehyde). Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) has shown promise to form the microcapsule shells due to its environmental benignity, inexpensiveness, and potential for liquid formulations, particularly detergents. Notwithstanding, its inherent porosity undermines the performance of the ensuing microcapsules. Bio-inspired by the adhesive properties of mussel proteins, dopamine is proposed for forming a protective organic coating on CaCO3-based microcapsules. This research aims towards developing primary microcapsules with CaCO3 shells encapsulating hexylsalicylate (HS) as a perfume oil, applying a polydopamine (PDA) coating via oxidative auto-polymerisation of dopamine-hydrochloride (pH 8.5), and conducting a comprehensive analysis of morphological, mechanical, barrier, and adhesive properties through advanced techniques, namely fluorescent-sensing/scanning electron microscopy (SEM), micromanipulation, UV–Vis spectrometry, and a microfluidic chamber fitted with polyethylene-terephthalate (PET) fabrics. The obtained microcapsules (D[3, 2]=31.2 ± 0.4 μm) exhibited a spherical core-shell structure with a smooth PDA-coated surface. Mechanical assessments reveal remarkable rupture stress (2.2 ± 0.3 MPa) comparable to that of commercial microcapsules. After one month in water, ∼40% of HS was released from PDA-coated microcapsules, while the primary ones released the entire amount within 4 h. When mimicking washing conditions (pH 9), the PDA-coated microcapsules demonstrated improved retention (∼60%) on the PET substrate at hydrodynamic shear stress of ∼1 Pa, whereas that of the primary microcapsules was below 10%. Overall, this study suggests the successful fabrication of eco-friendly microcapsules featuring a hybrid inorganic-organic shell, with enhanced mechanical strength, reduced leakage, and improved adhesion, showcasing their potential in applications within the fast-moving consumer goods industry. [Display omitted] •Ecofriendly perfume microcapsules engineered with an inorganic-organic hybrid shell.•Hybrid shells formed by CaCO3 self-assembly and dopamine auto-polymerisation.•Micromanipulation and microfluidics used to quantify microcapsule performance.•Microcapsule performance comparable to commercial synthetic microcapsules.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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#3 Good Health and Well-Being

Source: InCites

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Citation topics
2 Chemistry
2.53 Polymers & Macromolecules
2.53.1952 Bioinspired Adhesives
Web Of Science research areas
Energy & Fuels
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
ESI research areas
Materials Science
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