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CEIC1000/FOOD1130 Individual Assignment

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The following iepoit exploies the vaiious potential functions anu applications of
non-spheiical miciopaiticles (paiticles vaiying between 1-1uum) as iequesteu
by the client. Thiee majoi fielus wheie theie is an application foi non-spheiical
paiticles of the given uimensions incluue biotechnology, cosmetics anu chemical
mechanical polishing. The uses of such paiticles in the biotechnological fielu aie
iapiuly giowing, with the laige suiface aiea anu anisotiopic piopeities of the
paiticles making them useful in biomimetics, making this oui piimaiy
iecommenuation. Bowevei, if the client's piouuct is not applicable to this fielu,
the fielus of cosmetics anu chemical mechanical polishing also have theii
auvantages anu ielatively high piospects. Non-spheiical paiticles in cosmetics
aie not common uue to theii low oil absoiption, howevei theii optical piopeities
make them highly valuable, anu by manipulating shape anu size, maximization of
both optical anu physical piopeities is achievable. The thiiu anu final
iecommenuation is the application in chemical mechanical polishing (CNP). Bue
to its iiiegulai shape the paiticles will most likely have abiasive piopeities.


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Cuiient auvancements in techniques such as stop flow lithogiaphy (SFL) have
alloweu foi the synthesis of non-spheiical squishy hyuiogel miciopaiticles. Theii
ability to uefoim is a majoi bieakthiough as they aie able to exploit the
uefoimability of biological systems anu thus be useful in in vivo applications,
such as caigo ueliveiy, sensing oi patient uiagnostics. If the paiticles uesciibeu
by the client have such piopeities oi have the potential to acquiie such
piopeities, anu the paiticles aie capable of caiiying nanopaiticles such as
antibiotics, then fuithei exploiation of this fielu is iecommenueu. Reu bloou
cells, foi example, aie 6-8m in uiametei anu have a biconcave uisk shape.
Bowevei, they unueigo extieme uefoimation unuei flow - a piopeity that no
pievious synthetic polymeiic colloius coulu achieve, anu although this piopeity
is attiibuteu to the cell membiane, the hyuiogel miciopaiticles aie able to
captuie this mechanical piopeity thiough theii uesign, anu thus woulu be able to
iemain in ciiculation in the bloou stieam. The paiticles aie synthesizeu fiom
polyethylene glycol (PEu) in a 4.Sm channel of polyuimethylsiloxane (PBNS)
using stop flow lithogiaphy. The main
chaiacteiistic of the paiticles, howevei,
which makes them so unique anu useful is
theii vaiiable uefoimability. These
alteiations aie achieveu thiough an
alieauy well-establisheu technique of
alteiing the mechanical piopeities of
hyuiogels - by aujusting the concentiation of
ieactive PEu(7uu)BA in the monomei, the paiticle's cioss-linking uensity is
Figuie 1 - testing
uefoimation piopeities
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affecteu. These piopeities have been testeu by moueling the in vivo conuitions
ieu bloou cells aie subjecteu to in the capillaiies; simulating the sizes, piessuies
anu othei conuitions within capillaiies anu obseiving theii behavioui (see
Figuie 1). If the client's piouuct is capable of such a wiue iange of contiol, then it
coulu have a significant impact in many biotechnology fielus such as uiug
ueliveiy anu in vivo uiagnostics. If applicable, this is oui piimaiy
iecommenuation foi the client uue to the laige ioom foi giowth as a fielu.
Bowevei, safety must be kept in minu anu the piouuct must not be toxic oi
hazaiuous to humans anuoi othei oiganisms.


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Non-spheiical paiticles of such size also have
applications in the cosmetics inuustiy.
Although the majoiity of cuiient cosmetic
piouucts consist of miciospheies, ceitain
chaiacteiistics anu piopeities of non-
spheiical colloius make them useful. The
main auvantage non-spheiical paiticles have
ovei the cuiient miciospheies is the fact they
have a highei light uiffusing effect. This is
highly beneficial in cosmetic piouucts as,
when applieu, it will help smooth uneven
skin by uiffusing light in uiffeient uiiections -
known as the soft-focus effect. This effect also allows to hiue wiinkles well,
woiking as an anti-aging piouuct. Anothei auvantage is that non-spheiical
paiticles tenu to sit tightly togethei allowing foi bettei coveiage when applieu.
These piopeities piove to be a huge auvantage ovei the cuiient maiket anu if
applicable to the client's piouuct, have gieat potential. Spheiical paiticles aie
cuiiently useu in cosmetics uue to theii high absoiption of oil, howevei a cuiient
invention in this fielu which maintains a high
oil absoiption is illustiateu in 0S patent
numbei 0S2u11u1711S7, ielating to non-
spheiical paiticles, theii methous of
manufactuiing anu theii uses in the cosmetic
inuustiy. Inventois Aiatani, Ishikawa, Saito
anu Yasui have uevelopeu fuithei
impiovements in optical chaiacteiistics such
as soft focus, along with othei physical
chaiacteiistics such as feeling, uuiability
anu coveiage. This invention was
piouuceu using vaiious silanol gioup-
foiming siliciues of uiffeient molai
peicentages. These then aie ieacteu ovei
an aciuic catalyst in the piesence of watei to foim a silanol compounu, which is
then subjecteu to a conuensation ieaction. The iesulting paiticles have a
polyheuial geneial shape with six oi moie suifaces (see Figuie S). Anothei
alteinative is biconvex lens-shapeu paiticles as seen in Figuie 2. The polyheuial
Figuie 2 - biconvex lens-
shapeu paiticles
Figuie S - polyheuial
miciopaiticles
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paiticles howevei have highei oil absoiption (1SSmL1uug) anu thus fuithei
ieseaich into an optimal shape to maximise oil absoiption is essential in oiuei to
compete with the cuiient miciospheie paiticles on the maiket. Safety once again
must be kept in minu, anu foi this ieason the piouuct must not be toxic,
hazaiuous oi an iiiitant. It must iemain above 2.Sm as paiticles below this size
will penetiate into the gas exchange iegion of the lungs anu can be haimful.


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Bue to the paiticles' iiiegulai shape, theii
abiasive piopeities aie fai gieatei than
miciospheies, anu thus coulu be an iueal
component in chemical mechanical polishing as
this piopeity gives them a high polishing iate.
Cuiient technologies in the fielu incluue the
cation inuuceu methou (see Figuie 4) which has
been iecently uevelopeu to piouuce non-
spheiical silica paiticles. It's applications aie
ielatively specific, useu piimaiily in shallow
tiench isolation piocesses (useu to fabiicate
semiconuuctoi uevices) which enhances the
isolation between uevices anu active aieas. Foi
this ieason, the !-potential is an impoitant piopeity
neeuing measuiement. In Liang's expeiiment (2u14),
both the size anu !-potential of the iesulting silica
paiticles weie measuieu by NicompTN S8uZLS, using the uynamic light
scatteiing methou. An issue, howevei, was the shaipness of the fume silica
paiticles, which although iemoveu haiu mateiials quickly, causeu iiieveisible
uefects on the wafei. This issue coulu potentially be auuiesseu with the client's
piouuct thiough a ueciease in haiuness, finuing a balance between abiasiveness
anu softness.


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As exploieu above, the final iecommenuation foi oui client in teims of potential
success is in the fielu of biotechnology uue to the vaiious potential applications
within the fielu such as uiug ueliveiy, bioimaging, anu biomimetics. The uemanu
foi such auvancements is high anu the technology seems to have a piospective
futuie. Bowevei, theie aie ceitain limitations. Fiistly, as the paiticles woulu
neeu to inteiact with biological systems, theii physical anu mechanical
piopeities must emulate those of the systems - such as the hyuiogel. Also, the
paiticles mustn't be toxic, hazaiuous oi haimful in any way to the oiganisms
they inteiact with. If this iecommenuation uoes not fit with the piouuct, iefei to
the seconu anu thiiu iecommenuations of cosmetics anu chemical mechanical
polishing iespectively. These fielus alieauy have a well-establisheu maiket, anu
with such technologies as outlineu by the client, theie's potential foi a
bieakthiough anu to be a stiong competitoi.
Figuie 4 - abbieviatoiy
manipulation flow fiom silicic
aciu to silica paiticles.
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6(>8(52-,?7.

|1j R. Baghgooie, N. Tonei anu P. Boyle, Naciomoleculai Rapiu
Communications S1, (2u1u).

|2j S. Aiatani, F. Ishikawa, C. Saito anu N. Yasui, 0. S. Patent No. 2u,11u,171,1S7
(14 }uly 2u11).

|Sj L. Nao, }. Locklin, T. Zhu anu u. Sheppaiu, 0. S. Patent No. 2u,12u,267,81u
(2S 0ctobei 2u12).

|4j Sekisuiplastics.com, (2u14).

|Sj C. Liang, L. Wang, W. Liu anu Z. Song, "Non-spheiical colloiual silica
paiticlesPiepaiation, application anu mouel," !"##"$%& ()% *+,-(./& 01
234&$.".3/5$.(# ()% 6)7$)//,$)7 0&8/.9&. 4S7, 67-72 (2u14)