Programmed Wrapping and Assembly of Droplets with Mesoscale Polymers

TL;DR

This paper introduces mesoscale polymers (MSPs), flexible polymer ribbons inspired by nature, capable of modulating interfacial interactions to assemble complex hybrid structures with droplets, driven by interfacial energy.

Contribution

The study develops a new class of mesoscale polymers with tunable properties to control droplet assembly, enabling the creation of novel hybrid structures in fluid environments.

Findings

MSPs can form flagellum-like structures and wrap droplets.

Interfacial interactions are key to hybrid structure formation.

MSPs have negligible bending stiffness, facilitating assembly.

Abstract

Nature is remarkably adept at using interfaces to build structures, encapsulate reagents, and regulate biological processes. Inspired by Nature, we describe flexible polymer-based ribbons, termed "mesoscale polymers" (MSPs), to modulate interfacial interactions with liquid droplets. This produces unprecedented hybrid assemblies in the forms of flagellum-like structures and MSP-wrapped droplets. Successful preparation of these hybrid structures hinges on interfacial interactions and tailored MSP compositions, such as MSPs with domains possessing distinctly different affinity for fluid-fluid interfaces as well as mechanical properties. In situ measurements of MSP-droplet interactions confirm that MSPs possess a negligible bending stiffness, allowing interfacial energy to drive mesoscale assembly. By exploiting these interfacial driving forces, mesoscale polymers are demonstrated as a powerful platform that underpins the preparation of sophisticated hybrid structures in fluids.