Biomimetic Strategy to Fabricate Hierarchically Porous Zein Microreactors With a Hydrophobic Core-Hydrophilic Shell...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Porous microreactors mimic cellular compartmentalization to enhance catalysis, drug delivery, and bioengineering.
• Fabricating microreactors with controlled hydrophobic-hydrophilic domains and tunable porosity is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a scalable synthesis method for protein-based porous microreactors.
• To create microreactors with tunable meso-/macroporosity and hierarchical hydrophobic-hydrophilic domains.

Main Methods:

• Antisolvent precipitation using inorganic salts as removable templates.
• Zein protein self-assembly into mesoporous particles.
• Dual-dye fluorescence imaging and confocal microscopy for structural analysis.
• Selective partitioning experiments to verify spatial heterogeneity.

Main Results:

• Scalable synthesis of zein mesoporous particles (ZMP) with tunable pore sizes (19-302 nm).
• ZMP exhibit a robust core-shell structure with hydrophobic core and hydrophilic porous shell.
• Demonstrated spatial heterogeneity and selective partitioning of guest molecules.
• Successful enzymatic loading, indicating potential as biocatalytic microreactors.

Conclusions:

• Zein mesoporous particles offer a sustainable and biocompatible alternative to inorganic porous materials.
• The developed ZMP provide a programmable platform for biomimetic catalysis, molecular separation, and green manufacturing.
• This work advances the design and application of protein-based functional nanomaterials.