Affiliation:
1. State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 China
2. Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS) Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 China
3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
Abstract
AbstractLiving systems create complex structures and functions by mastering self‐organization in a variety of equilibrium and non‐equilibrium states. Mimicking the dynamical phenomena with synthetic cell‐like entities (protocells) under non‐equilibrium conditions offers an important step toward the representation of minimum life. Here, the cell‐sized coacervate microdroplets assembled from associative metallosurfactant coacervation via liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) that exhibits non‐equilibrium behaviors are reported. The compartmentalized protocell coacervates display collective dynamics that synchronize into system oscillations, showing autonomous death/regeneration and contraction/expansion cycles with external redox stress. The collective oscillation of abiotic metallosurfactant microdroplets can sustain both in solution and at the colloidal interface, allowing for dynamic sequestration, mass transport, and passing through nanosized channels, reminiscent of red blood cells that can deform and squeeze through narrow capillaries. The design of self‐oscillating cell‐sized constructs will shed a light on the creation of life‐like soft materials with autonomous motion driven by complex chemical stimuli, which can be further used as nonbiological models for dynamic aggregates and intercellular communication.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
Subject
Mechanical Engineering,Mechanics of Materials,General Materials Science
Cited by
2 articles.
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