Robust and Readily Functionalized Microcapsules from Interfacial Click Polymerization of Amphiphilic Alternating Copolymers

Qing-Song Xu; Min-Jiang Zhu; Xiu-Ting Li; Jie Dong; Xin Zhao; Qing-Hua Zhang; Yong-Feng Zhou

doi:10.1007/s10118-025-3504-6

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Robust and Readily Functionalized Microcapsules from Interfacial Click Polymerization of Amphiphilic Alternating Copolymers

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-01-30

- Robust and Readily Functionalized Microcapsules from Interfacial Click Polymerization of Amphiphilic Alternating Copolymers
- Robust and Readily Functionalized Microcapsules from Interfacial Click Polymerization of Amphiphilic Alternating Copolymers
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science 2026年44卷第2期页码：389-397
- Affiliations：
  
  a.State Key Laboratory of Advanced Fibers Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
  b.School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Author bio：
  
  dj01@dhu.edu.cn (J.D.)
  yfzou@sjtu.edu.cn (Y.F.Z.)
- Funds：
  
  This work was financially supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities (No. 24D110627).;Electronic supplementary information (ESI) is available free of charge in the online version of this article at http://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-025-3504-6.
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-025-3504-6
  中图分类号： [M
- 收稿：2025-10-09，
  
  录用：2025-11-13，
  
  网络首发：2026-01-23，
  
  纸质出版：2026-02-05
- Accepted：
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Xu, Q. S.; Zhu, M. J.; Li, X. T.; Dong, J.; Zhao, X.; Zhang, Q. H.; Zhou, Y. F. Robust and readily functionalized microcapsules from interfacial click polymerization of amphiphilic alternating copolymers. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 389–397

Qing-Song Xu, Min-Jiang Zhu, Xiu-Ting Li, et al. Robust and Readily Functionalized Microcapsules from Interfacial Click Polymerization of Amphiphilic Alternating Copolymers[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(2): 389-397.
Xu, Q. S.; Zhu, M. J.; Li, X. T.; Dong, J.; Zhao, X.; Zhang, Q. H.; Zhou, Y. F. Robust and readily functionalized microcapsules from interfacial click polymerization of amphiphilic alternating copolymers. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 389–397 DOI： 10.1007/s10118-025-3504-6.

Qing-Song Xu, Min-Jiang Zhu, Xiu-Ting Li, et al. Robust and Readily Functionalized Microcapsules from Interfacial Click Polymerization of Amphiphilic Alternating Copolymers[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(2): 389-397. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-025-3504-6.

摘要

A novel kind of amphiphilic alternating copolymer-based capsules are scalable prepared and functionalized by interfacial click polymerization owing to the merits of click chemistry. The dried capsules show high modulus values exceeding 1 GPa and are sufficiently robust to restore their original morphology once rehydrated.

Abstract

The preparation and functionalization of polymeric capsules attract intense attention due to their application in various areas. Herein we presented an amphiphilic alternating copolymer (ACP)-based microcapsule which is both robust and readily-functionalized through interfacial click polymerization. A water-in-oil emulsion was constructed to act as the reaction medium

the hydrophilic 1

3-butadiene diepoxide (BDE) in water phase reacted with the oleophilic 1

4-dibutanedithiol (BDT) in oil phase at the water-oil interface to form the amphiphilic ACP named poly(2

3-dihydroxy butylene-

alt

-butylene dithioether) (abbreviated as P(DHB-

-BDT) below)

which would deposite

in situ

to form the micro-sized capsules. Significantly

the dried capsules are robust enough to be rehydrated once the water was added and almost restored their original morphologies. Further elucidation showed that the Young’s modulus of these capsules exceeded 1 GPa. As long as we know

it is the first time for the mechanical properties of the ACP-based microstructures being investigated. Besides

functionalization could be achieved simultaneously with the formation process. As a proof of concept

positive-charged capsules were successfully obtained through click copolymerization. Stemming from the unique characteristics of amphiphilic ACPs which combined both merits of click chemistry and interfacial reactions

all these features of the current method as well as the resultant capsules may promote the application of the polymeric capsules.

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references

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