Nanoparticle Missiles from Exploding Polyelectrolyte Capsules

Out with a bang! Microcapsules have been prepared which, as a result of an explosion triggered by an external stimulus, distribute nanoparticles throughout the local environment both efficiently and rapidly (see picture). In this way a principle found in nature for the dispersal of seeds and defensive materials has now been realized in nanotechnology and might be utilized, for example, for the better distribution of drugs in organs.