We will present two new engineering strategies which use multiphasic liquid-liquid-polymer systems to make a rich variety of novel colloidal structures and materials. The capillary forces originating at the liquid/liquid interfaces can serve for reconfigurable binding in soft matter systems, including Pickering emulsions, novel responsive capillary gels, and compositions for 3D printing. Alternatively, the liquid/liquid interfaces can template the formation of a variety of polymer nanomaterials. We will first present responsive structures made by capillary binding, including new magnetically responsive gels and 3D printing inks consisting of water, crosslinked PDMS microbeads and liquid PDMS phase. These Homocomposite Thixotropic Pastes (HTPs) enable the formation of remarkably elastic, flexible, and biocompatible structures. The HTP-3DP inks enable new opportunities for 3D printing of “active” and magnetically reconfigurable structures. In the second new materials synthesis approach, the liquid/liquid droplet interfaces template the formation of a variety of polymer nanomaterials, including nanoparticles, nanofibers, nanoribbons, microrods and microsheets. The interfacial polymer precipitation in turbulently sheared liquid media results in a new class of soft dendritic polymer microparticles (“dendricolloids”). The dendricolloids combine the properties of fascinating soft matter systems – the freely-suspended dendritic particles have very large excluded volume, while their nanofiber coronas possess the highly adhesive abilities of the nanofiber-padded gecko legs. Theis enables a range of highly unusual properties – gelation at very low volume fractions, strong adhesion to surfaces and to each other, and ability to bind strongly and form new types of gels, nonwoven sheets and ultrasoft membranes. We will discuss the perspectives of using the dendricolloids as a basis of 3D-printable “homocomposite” hydrogels with tunable rheology and colloidal “microcleaners” for microplastics remediation.

Liquid nanofabrication of functional multiphasic soft matter by capillary binding and interfacial templating

ACS Spring 2022

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