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Reconfiguration of Multiphase Coacervate Droplets Into Self‐Regulated Nested Artificial Cells

Zhuping Yin, Rui Sun, Jingxin Shao, Jan C. M. van Hest*, Stephen Mann*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

Abstract

Dynamic sub‐compartmentalization and internal organization are important assets of living cells to control functional complexity. Mimicking these features in artificial cells provides a platform to effectively respond to external cues by changing internal structure, thereby emulating life‐like behavior. Here, we present a strategy to construct sub‐compartmentalized artificial cells by converting multiphase coacervate droplets (MCDs) into nested coacervate vesicles (NCVs), in which the outer host domain is electrostatically reconfigured into a continuous semipermeable shell, while the internal guest droplets are preserved. The generated artificial cells exhibit spatial segregation of coacervate constituents and encapsulated fluorescent dyes, enzymes, and gold nanoparticles, and remain morphologically stable under different conditions. The membranized artificial cells display artificial metabolic features by means of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) synthesis and subsequent temperature‐dependent aggregation, leading to emergent behavior including self‐regulated photothermal transitions, feedback‐mediated photocatalysis, and spatiotemporal organization of internal cargoes. Overall, our approach establishes a robust artificial cell platform that combines sub‐compartmentalization with self‐regulating properties, integrating functionality with structural complexity.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere9334343
Number of pages8
JournalAngewandte Chemie
Early online date10 Apr 2026
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 10 Apr 2026

Bibliographical note

© 2026 The Author(s).

Keywords

  • coacervate
  • nested coacervate vesicle
  • artificial cell

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