Self-assembled microcapsules: understanding and controlling the release of payloads

The goal of this thesis, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the SAMCAPS project (grant agreement no. 814100), is to address the current need for bio-degradable materials and efficient encapsulating agents for home and beauty care products. To this aim, this work focuses on the liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of an amphiphilic thermoresponsive copolymer that leads to the formation of micron-sized domains, known as simple coacervates, at room temperature and in surfactant-rich media, where control of liquid-liquid phase separation is particularly challenging. Additionally, these microstructures can entrap hydrophobic active principles from the medium and release them in a triggered way, rendering them as suitable encapsulating agents.