Coacervates With Endoskeleton

Coacervation is a phenomenon of liquid-liquid phase separation(LLPS)driven by electrostatic interaction,hydrophobic interaction or entropy between oppositely charged molecules.When the phase separation occurs in the solution,coacervate droplets rich solutes form and eventually coalesce with each other and separate into a dense coacervate phase.The coacervate droplets which occupied by biomolecules,can enrich a variety of molecules,such as enzymes,dyes and biomacromolecules,and promote relevant chemical reactions.Coacervates are widely celebrated for their liquid nature with profound implications in subcellular regulation and reaction modulation;yet such fluidity(susceptible to deformation/flow and destined to coalesce)is incompatible with industrially relevant processes that favor immobilization.Herein,we develop an endoskeletal strategy of universality to reconcile this conflict by introducing solid,porous scaffolds into the liquid coacervates.Guided by design principles on scaffold surface chemistry and pore sizes,we identified a broad spectrum of porous materials that can inhale coacervates spontaneously,provide mechanical strength against deformation or coalescence,and preserve coacervates’ molecular mobility.In effect,the endoskeletons realize a mobile-immobile duality by complementing microscopic liquidity with macroscopic solidity.The structure formed is called“endoskeletal coacervates”.Looking forward,we hope that endoskeletal coacervates can be applied in batch and flow reactors to upscale coacervate functionalities from lab demonstrations to industrial implementations and make the coacervates revealed their full potential.