Supramolecular polymers form tactoids through liquid–liquid phase separation

Abstract Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biopolymers has recently been shown to play a central role in the formation of membraneless organelles with a multitude of biological functions 1–3 . The interplay between LLPS and macromolecular condensation is part of continuing studies 4,5 . Synthetic supramolecular polymers are the non-covalent equivalent of macromolecules but they are not reported to undergo LLPS yet. Here we show that continuously growing fibrils, obtained from supramolecular polymerizations of synthetic components, are responsible for phase separation into highly anisotropic aqueous liquid droplets (tactoids) by means of an entropy-driven pathway. The crowding environment, regulated by…

• H2
  Horizon 2020 Framework Programme

  Awards: H2020-EU.1.1, 864772