Review: Mechanical stimuli-responsive microcapsules

The field of mechanical stimuli-responsive microcapsules has had a significant impact on numerous applications, including damage visualisation, self-healing coatings, aromatic embedding, drug delivery and tactile simulation. Using the embedding ability of microcapsules, smart microcapsule technology refers to triggering the release of core materials in a specific environment. Compared with pH and temperature, mechanical stimulation is one of the most easily methods to trigger release.

Applications, challenges and future directions

As a result, research on the release of the core materials triggered by mechanical events has gradually emerged. In a new review, the characteristics of materials that are responsive to mechanical stimuli are introduced firstly. Then, various mechanical trigger release modes and associated techniques are summarised. Finally, the applications, challenges and future directions of mechanical stimuli-responsive microcapsules are explored.

The review has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 176, March 2023.