Research Progress on Preparation of Microcapsules by Photopolymerization Combined with Phase Separation

Microcapsules are tiny containers with a core-shell structure, capable of storing various substances and controlling their release. Most conventional microcapsule preparation strategies use emulsion droplets as templates to construct core-shell structures through thermally initiated polymerization, which often requires long-term high-temperature reactions. This may cause demulsification of complex emulsion templates, thereby affecting the morphology and structure of microcapsules. Photopolymerization technology, with its advantages of high efficiency and mild conditions, is very suitable for the rapid curing of complex emulsion templates and exhibits unique advantages in the preparation of microcapsules. In recent years, our research group has combined photopolymerization technology with phase separation within emulsion droplets to construct microcapsules. This method is characterized by mild conditions, high efficiency, rapidity, adjustability, and controllability, and shows unique advantages in the large-scale preparation of microcapsules. This paper reviews the research progress in the preparation of microcapsules with adjustable structures and controllable properties based on this method, including single-layer polymer microcapsules, multi-layer microcapsules, hybrid microcapsules, and multi-compartment microcapsules. It also discusses the construction of various functional coatings based on these microcapsules, and finally explores the existing problems and future development trends of this method for microcapsule fabrication.