Droplet-supported liquid-liquid lateral phase separation as a step to floating protein heterostructures.

ABSTRACT: Liquid-liquid phase separation plays an important role in many natural and technological processes. Herein, we implement lateral microphase separation at the surface of oil micro-droplets suspended in water to prepare a range of discrete floating protein/polymer continuous two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures with variable interfacial domain structures and dynamics. We show that gel-like domains of bovine serum albumin (BSA) co-exist with fluid-like polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) regions at the oil droplet surface to produce floating heterostructures comprising a 2D phase-separated protein mesh or an array of discrete mobile protein rafts depending on the conditions employed. Enzymes are embedded in the discontinuous BSA domains to produce droplet-supported microphase-separated 2D reaction scaff

SUBMITTER: Chen H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11847946 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature