Coacervate-pore complexes for selective molecular transport and dynamic reconfiguration

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomimetic Engineering
• Supramolecular Chemistry

Background:

• Growing interest in liquid-state coacervates and condensates for advanced materials.
• Limited exploration of confining these liquid phases within solid pores for selective permeation.
• Nuclear Pore Complexes (NPCs) serve as a biological model for selective transport.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and construct coacervate-pore complexes (CPCs) with tunable permeability.
• To mimic the selective transport capabilities of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs).
• To explore the potential of liquid-based systems for advanced filtration and separation.

Main Methods:

• Spontaneous imbibition of coacervate droplets into various solid-state pore types driven by capillarity.
• Demonstration of CPC formation across diverse coacervate systems and pore architectures.
• Characterization of guest molecule transport modulation based on coacervate affinity.

Main Results:

• Universal CPC formation achieved across 19 coacervate systems and 5 pore types.
• CPCs successfully regulated through-pore transport, mimicking NPC selectivity via a fluidic network.
• Liquid nature of CPCs allows for dynamic healing and rapid phase transitioning for permeability control.

Conclusions:

• Coacervate-Pore Complexes (CPCs) represent a novel approach to creating artificial selective transport systems.
• The liquid-based nature of CPCs offers advantages over solid mimics, including self-healing and dynamic regulation.
• This work establishes a foundation for developing liquid-based NPC analogs using synthetic coacervates and biomolecular condensates.