General approach for partitioning and phase separation in macromolecular coexisting phases

Partitioning of (bio)materials in polymeric mixtures is a key phenomenon both in cellular environments, as well as in industrial applications. In cells, macromolecules are distributed among distinct biomolecular phases. The coexistence of polymeric aqueous phases in multicomponent systems has been widely exploited for the extraction and purification of (bio)materials from aqueous environments. Despite their relevance, key physical and chemical properties controlling the phase behavior of these complex systems are still lacking. Here, we have developed a classical density functional theory approach for describing the phase coexistence and partitioning of an arbitrary number of polymers and suspended materials. As a case example, we focus on a binary mixture of phase separating polymers in which a third material is dispersed. We explore the effect of size ratios and affinities between the different materials and address their distribution and coexisting densities, and find optimal conditions for partitioning.