Sustainable and Biodegradable Particle Delivery Systems

We have developed a delivery system that comprises biopolymer-based colloidal carrier particles that are synthesized via environmentally friendly processes. These particles are functionalized with active ingredients with the objective to enhance the functional properties and reduce the amount of the active agent employed. Once the desired action is performed and the carrier particles are depleted they will degrade, which increases post-utilization safety. These new degradable functionalized particle systems combine high performance efficiency with low environmental footprint. The technology is a result of a pioneering research in the group of Prof. Orlin Velev at NC State University.

References 

Richer A. P. et al, Nature Nanotechnol. https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2015.141

Velev O. D. and Richter A. P. US20190281833A1 and further pending patents.

Animation visualizing the interaction of a microbe with lignin particles functionalized with silver ions and cationic polyelectrolyte.

Superhydrophobic Textile Coating SDC Materials

Our company is scaling up an advanced technology for formation of novel soft dendritic colloidal (SDC) particles with hierarchically structured fractal morphology. The SDC particles are formed when a polymer solution is injected into turbulently sheared anti-solvent medium due to random stretching of the solution droplets during polymer precipitation. When deposited on textile substrates the SDC formulations can form durable porous coatings. Depending on the type of polymer from which the formulation is made the resulting coatings can be either superhydrophilic or superhydrophobic.  The technology was invented by the group of Prof. Orlin Velev at NC State University. 

References 

Roh, S. et al, Nature Materials, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-019-0508-z

Velev O. D. and Roh, S. US2019/0153247A1 and further pending patents.

Morphology of a soft dendritic colloid (SDC) particle.