Crown Ether-Functionalized Complex Emulsions as an Artificial Adaptive Material Platform

Responsive materials capable of autonomously regulating and adapting to molecular recognition-induced chemical events hold great promise in the design of artificial chemo-intelligent life-like soft material platforms. In this context, the design of a synthetically minimal artificial emulsion platform that, regulated by interfacial supramolecular recognition events, is capable to autonomously and reversibly adapt to its chemical environment is reported. The systems exhibit programmed up- and down-regulating capabilities that are realized via selective assembly of synthesized crown ether surfactants onto one hemisphere of anisotropic biphasic emulsion droplets. Dynamic and reversible interfacial host-guest complexation of, for example, metal and ammonium ions or amino acids transduce into interface-triggered morphological reconfigurations of the complex emulsion droplets, which mediate their ability to selectively present, hide, or expand liquid-liquid interfaces. The separate responsive modalities are then used to showcase the utility of such adaptive soft material platforms for a self-regulated uptake and release of metal ions or phase-transfer catalysts, a biomimetic recognition of biomolecules including amino acids, carbohydrates, and antibodies, and for triggered surface-encoded payload release applications.

Automated summary

A synthetically minimal artificial emulsion platform has been designed in this study, capable of autonomously adapting to its chemical environment through interfacial supramolecular recognition events. The platform demonstrates programmed up- and down-regulating capabilities by selectively assembling synthesized crown ether surfactants onto anisotropic biphasic emulsion droplets. This adaptive soft material platform showcases utility in self-regulated uptake and release of metal ions, biomimetic recognition of biomolecules, and triggered surface-encoded payload release applications.