Thermally-resilient, phase-invertible, ultra-stable all-aqueous compartments by pH-modulated protein colloidal particles.
J Colloid Interface Sci
; 665: 413-421, 2024 Jul.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38537589
ABSTRACT
The essence of compartmentalization in cells is the inspiration behind the engineering of synthetic counterparts, which has emerged as a significant engineering theme. Here, we report the formation of ultra-stable water-in-water (W/W) emulsion droplets. These W/W droplets demonstrate previously unattained stability across a broad pH spectrum and exhibit resilience at temperatures up to 80â, overcoming the challenge of insufficient robustness in dispersed droplets of aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS). The exceptional robustness is attributed to the strong anchoring of micelle-like casein colloidal particles at the PEO/DEX interface, which maintains stability under varying environmental conditions. The increased surface hydrophobicity of these particles at high temperatures contributes to the formation of thermally-stable droplets, enduring temperatures as high as 80â. Furthermore, our study illustrates the adaptable affinity of micelle-like casein colloidal particles towards the PEO/DEX-rich phase, enabling the formation of stable DEX-in-PEO emulsions at lower pH levels, and PEO-in-DEX emulsions as the pH rises above the isoelectric point. The robust nature of these W/W emulsions unlocks new possibilities for exploring various biochemical reactions within synthetic subcellular modules and lays a solid foundation for the development of novel biomimetic materials.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Resilience, Psychological
/
Micelles
Language:
En
Journal:
J Colloid Interface Sci
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: