Jet flow directed supramolecular self-assembly at aqueous liquid–liquid interface

Abstract

Self-assembly of molecular units at an interface has been an active area of research over the past few decades because of its advantages to prepare highly ordered materials. Here we demonstrated jet flow directed supramolecular self-assembly at the interface between two aqueous solutions, one containing a cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) and the other, a small self-assembling Fmoc-diphenylalanine (Fmoc-FF) peptide bearing opposite charge. By controlling the jet flow of CPAM solution, we can fabricate macroscopic sac membranes, or microfibers composed of well-aligned Fmoc-FF nanofibers at the interface between two solutions. Moreover, the structure of microfibers may be hollow or solid depending on the intensity of jet flow. The entrainment of the jet flow will enhance the mixing between Fmoc-FF and CPAM solutions, which can be utilized for the fast fabrication of well-defined Fmoc-FF/CPAM microfibers. These microfibers can encapsulate functional components facilely for controlled drug release. Moreover, functional components such as QDs can also be integrated into the self-assembling system to easily achieve additional functionalities. We believe that the organization of components at the aqueous liquid–liquid interface will have great potential for the discovery of highly ordered and functional materials with potential applications in areas such as controlled drug release, wound dressing, enzyme immobilization, biosensors and other non-biological applications.