Plastic behaviour of polyelectrolyte microcapsules derived from colloid templates

The deformability and osmotic properties of hollow microcapsules were studi ed by means of the micropipette video microscopic technique. The microcapsu les were prepared by consecutive multiple adsorption of the polyanion, poly (styrene sulphonate), and the polycation, poly( allylamine hydrochloride), onto melamine formaldehyde resin latex of 5 mu m diameter, which was decom posed after completing the coating by transferring to hydrochloric acid of pH 1.1. The polyelectrolyte microcapsules reacted to micropipette suction w ith plastic deformation. If lipids are added to the polyelectrolyte layers, the capsules cannot be visibly deformed by micropipette suction up to 10(4 ) N/m(2). However, plastic shrinking was observed if the stress was generat ed by the osmotic pressure of a sucrose solution of 10(6) N/m(2).