Macromolecular Materials by Assembly at All-Aqueous Interfaces

All-aqueous emulsions, which consist of aqueous droplets surrounded by an immiscible aqueous phase, have demonstrated great potential in applications, such as extraction of rare compounds. They are also increasingly used in biomimetics, as they allow compartmentalization and processing of bioactive species. However, it has been challenging to achieve all-aqueous emulsions with long term stability, due to the low interfacial tension commonly observed in these emulsions. In this talk, I will discuss our works in understanding the properties of these all-aqueous interfaces, the partitioning properties of which enable controlled partitioning-induced assembly of macromolecules, ranging from polyelectrolytes to proteins. In particular, I will demonstrate how the interplay between the all-aqueous interfaces and the macromolecular networks can result in surprising macroscopic behaviors of the all-aqueous droplets. Using these approaches, we also fabricate structures, including microgel particles, microcapsules, and fibrillosomes, whose bio-compatibility is superior to their counterparts fabricated based on an oil-containing emulsion. We will conclude the talk by discussing the disciplines, ranging from biotechnology, to nanotechnology, to bio-materials and to medicine, that will be benefited from the new approach of forming bio- and cyto-mimetic materials.