The present invention provides polymersomes comprising amphiphilic block-copolymers and their use to quantify ammonia in samples (e.g., body fluid samples). More particularly, it provides a polymersome comprising (a) a membrane, which comprises a block copolymer of poly(styrene) (PS) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), wherein the PS/PEO molecular weight ratio is higher than 1.0 and lower than 4.0; and (b) a core which encloses an acid and at least one pH-sensitive dye. Compositions, strips and kits comprising the polymersomes are also provided along with methods of quantifying ammonia in a sample using the polymersomes, compositions and kit.

The present disclosure relates to thermally expandable microspheres comprising a polymeric shell surrounding a hollow core, wherein the hollow core comprises a blowing agent, and the polymeric shell comprises a carboxylate-functionalised cellulose, wherein the thermally expandable microspheres have a temperature at which expansion starts, T.sub.Start, of from 80° C. to less than 135° C. The present disclosure further relates to a process for preparing expandable microspheres as well as to thermally expandable microspheres obtained by such process, the process comprising mixing a carboxylate-functionalised cellulose, an organic solvent, a blowing agent and, optionally, a polymer shell enhancer and then spraying the thus obtained mixture into a drying equipment to produce the thermally expandable microspheres having a polymeric shell surrounding a hollow core, in which the polymeric shell comprises the carboxylate-functionalised cellulose, and the hollow core comprises the blowing agent.

Disclosed is a controllable method for preparing phospholipid micelles, including: S1, preparing small phospholipid vesicles; S2, preparing a graphene thin-layer electrode substrate, S3, incubating, and S4, electroforming phospholipid micelles. According to the present application, lamellar graphene is used as the electrode substrate according to the present application, where a phospholipid bilayer film is firstly spread on the surface of the substrate, and phospholipid micelles are controlled in terms of formation as well as formation state by a certain alternating current electric field on the surface of graphene; the developed method of the present application is unique in design, simple in operation, and has the advantages of fast formation, short preparation cycle and good controllability.

Disclosed is a controllable method for preparing phospholipid micelles, including: S1, preparing small phospholipid vesicles; S2, preparing a graphene thin-layer electrode substrate, S3, incubating, and S4, electroforming phospholipid micelles. According to the present application, lamellar graphene is used as the electrode substrate according to the present application, where a phospholipid bilayer film is firstly spread on the surface of the substrate, and phospholipid micelles are controlled in terms of formation as well as formation state by a certain alternating current electric field on the surface of graphene; the developed method of the present application is unique in design, simple in operation, and has the advantages of fast formation, short preparation cycle and good controllability.

A method for preparing fluorescent-encoded microspheres coated with metal nanoshells is disclosed herein. By using SPG method, metal nano-material modified with a certain ligand is used as a new surfactant in the emulsification process, and different kinds and different amounts of fluorescent materials are doped into polymer microspheres to prepare fluorescent-encoded microspheres with different fluorescent-encoded signals and uniformly coated metal nanoshells in one step. The prepared fluorescent-encoded microsphere comprises a metal nanoshell, a polymer, and a fluorescent-encoded material. The fluorescent-encoded microsphere has a particle size of 1 μm˜20 μm, CV of less than 10%, which can be used for protein/nucleic acid detection. The preparation method has the advantages of simple process, high surface coating rate, good uniformity and controllable LSPR peaks, which can solve the problems of existing commonly used metal nanoshell coating methods such as low surface coating rate, poor uniformity, complex preparation process and uncontrollable local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peaks, etc.

A method for preparing fluorescent-encoded microspheres coated with metal nanoshells is disclosed herein. By using SPG method, metal nano-material modified with a certain ligand is used as a new surfactant in the emulsification process, and different kinds and different amounts of fluorescent materials are doped into polymer microspheres to prepare fluorescent-encoded microspheres with different fluorescent-encoded signals and uniformly coated metal nanoshells in one step. The prepared fluorescent-encoded microsphere comprises a metal nanoshell, a polymer, and a fluorescent-encoded material. The fluorescent-encoded microsphere has a particle size of 1 μm˜20 μm, CV of less than 10%, which can be used for protein/nucleic acid detection. The preparation method has the advantages of simple process, high surface coating rate, good uniformity and controllable LSPR peaks, which can solve the problems of existing commonly used metal nanoshell coating methods such as low surface coating rate, poor uniformity, complex preparation process and uncontrollable local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peaks, etc.

A preparation method of the microcapsules for low-temperature well cementation to be used to control cement hydration heat includes: (S1) a shell material, and added into deionized water, then the resultant mixture being stirred in a thermostat water bath so as to completely dissolve it into a homogeneous and stable shell material solution; (S2) a core material and an emulsifier being put into a three-necked flask and stirred in a thermostat water bath so as to uniformly emulsify and disperse them, forming a stable oil-in-water core material emulsion, while adjusting the pH value of the emulsion with a pH adjuster; (S3) the three-necked flask containing the core material emulsion being transferred to a water bath, and then the shell material solution being dropwise added into it with stirring, after reacting, a solid-liquid mixture being poured out so as to naturally cool it to room temperature.

Porous metal oxide microspheres are prepared via a process comprising forming a liquid dispersion of polymer nanoparticles and a metal oxide; forming liquid droplets of the dispersion; drying the droplets to provide polymer template microspheres comprising polymer nanospheres; and removing the polymer nanospheres from the template microspheres to provide the porous metal oxide microspheres. The porous microspheres exhibit saturated colors and are suitable as colorants for a variety of end-uses.

Microparticles and nanoparticles made of various materials that are used in various configurations are disclosed. The particles may be perfluorocarbon droplets with a lipid coating. The particles may be used in an acoustic cell selection process. The droplets are highly acoustically responsive and can be retained against fluid flow by an acoustic field. Such particles can be used in the separation, segregation, differentiation, modification or filtration of a system.

Microparticles and nanoparticles made of various materials that are used in various configurations are disclosed. The particles may be perfluorocarbon droplets with a lipid coating. The particles may be used in an acoustic cell selection process. The droplets are highly acoustically responsive and can be retained against fluid flow by an acoustic field. Such particles can be used in the separation, segregation, differentiation, modification or filtration of a system.