Collaborators from Korean and the USA have come up with a new approach to achieve mechanically-triggered release of active ingredients from buckled polymer microreservoirs supported on a flexible, elastomer substrate. The arrayed microcapsules were obtained by using buckled polymer thin films, which can provide stretchability without defects (see illustration of the buckling and transfer process for the preparation of arrayed microcapsules).

As strain was applied to the elastomer substrate, the volume of the microcapsules decreased correspondingly. Likewise, upon mechanical stretching, the microcapsules pumped out preloaded molecules.

• Strain-Controlled Release of Molecules from Arrayed Microcapsules Supported on an Elastomer Substrate,
  D. C. Hyun, G. D. Moon, C. J. Park, B. S. Kim, Y. Xia, U. Jeong*
  Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010.
  DOI: 10.1002/anie.201004838
• Strain-Controlled Release of Molecules from Arrayed Microcapsules Supported on an Elastomer Substrate,
  D. C. Hyun, G. D. Moon, C. J. Park, B. S. Kim, Y. Xia, U. Jeong*
  Angew. Chem. 2010.
  DOI: 10.1002/ange.201004838