Baiocco D, Al-Sharabi M, Lobel BT, Cayre OJ, Routh AF, Zhang Z. Eco-friendly fungal chitosan-silica dual-shell microcapsules with tailored mechanical and barrier properties for potential consumer product applications. ACS Omega. 2024;9(26):28385-28396. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.4c02287.
This study presents a sustainable method for creating dual-shell microcapsules composed of fungal chitosan and silica, designed for encapsulating fragrance oils like hexyl salicylate. The dual-shell structure significantly improved the mechanical strength and barrier properties of the microcapsules compared to single-shell variants. Compression tests revealed that dual-shell microcapsules exhibited a mean nominal rupture stress of 3.0 ± 0.2 MPa, notably higher than the 1.7 ± 0.2 MPa observed in single-shell microcapsules. Additionally, after 20 days in neutral pH water, dual-shell microcapsules released only about 2.5% of their oil content, whereas single-shell microcapsules released over 10%. These findings suggest that the incorporation of a silica coating enhances both the durability and encapsulation efficiency of chitosan-based microcapsules, making them promising candidates for applications in cosmetics and detergents.
Keywords: Fungal chitosan, silica, dual-shell microcapsules, mechanical strength, barrier properties, fragrance encapsulation