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Interfacial Microcompartmentalization by Kinetic Control of Selective Interfacial Accumulation
Author(s) -
Liu Qian,
Yuan Zhenyu,
Zhao Meng,
Huisman Max,
Drewes Gido,
Piskorz Tomasz,
Mytnyk Serhii,
Koper Ger J. M.,
Mendes Eduardo,
Esch Jan H.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.202009701
Subject(s) - polymer , chemical engineering , polyethylene glycol , aqueous solution , phase (matter) , materials science , pulmonary surfactant , aqueous two phase system , peg ratio , layer (electronics) , emulsion , polymer chemistry , chemistry , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , composite material , finance , engineering , economics
Reported here is a 2D, interfacial microcompartmentalization strategy governed by 3D phase separation. In aqueous polyethylene glycol (PEG) solutions doped with biotinylated polymers, the polymers spontaneously accumulate in the interfacial layer between the oil‐surfactant‐water interface and the adjacent polymer phase. In aqueous two‐phase systems, these polymers first accumulated in the interfacial layer separating two polymer solutions and then selectively migrated to the oil‐PEG interfacial layer. By using polymers with varying photopolymerizable groups and crosslinking rates, kinetic control and capture of spatial organisation in a variety of compartmentalized macroscopic structures, without the need of creating barrier layers, was achieved. This selective interfacial accumulation provides an extension of 3D phase separation towards synthetic compartmentalization, and is also relevant for understanding intracellular organisation.