Engineering sequential liquid-liquid phase separation and affinity partitioning for compartmentalization and...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Physical Chemistry

Background:

• Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is crucial for biological processes and biomaterial design, enabling the formation of distinct liquid compartments.
• Current LLPS methods for core-shell structures often require external agents or multiple steps, limiting control over functionalization.
• Achieving precise spatial and temporal control over compartmentalization and functionalization in biomaterials remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an integrated strategy for spatiotemporal compartmentalization and functionalization of all-aqueous emulsion drops.
• To engineer sequential LLPS and affinity partitioning for controlled core-shell microstructure formation without exogenous agents.
• To enable simultaneous functionalization of discrete core and shell regions for sophisticated biomaterial functions.

Main Methods:

• Leveraged intrinsic concentration gradients in all-aqueous emulsion drops to induce osmotic pressure gradients.
• Engineered spontaneous, sequential LLPS for controlled compartmentalization and stable core-shell microstructure formation.
• Utilized affinity partitioning, inspired by intracellular mechanisms, for precise distribution of functional components.

Main Results:

• Achieved spatiotemporal control over LLPS-based compartmentalization without exogenous agents or multi-step processing.
• Generated stable core-shell microstructures with precise spatial and temporal control over component distribution.
• Demonstrated simultaneous functionalization of core and shell regions, leading to enhanced therapeutic performance in a wound healing model.

Conclusions:

• Established a versatile strategy for developing advanced biomaterials with sophisticated core-shell architectures.
• The developed approach offers precise spatiotemporal control over compartmentalization and functionalization.
• The biomaterials show significant potential for therapeutic applications, as evidenced by improved wound healing outcomes.