Abstract：
Due to the minimization of interface area caused by surface tension, the stabilization of liquid in complex and precise nonequilibrium shapes is challenging. In this work, a simple, surfactant-free, and covalent strategy to stabilize liquid in precise nonequilibrium shapes via fast interfacial polymerization (FIP) of highly reactive n-butyl cyanoacrylate (BCA) monomer triggered by water-soluble nucleophiles is described. Full interfacial coverage can be achieved instantly, and the resultant polyBCA film anchored at the interface can support the unequal interface stress, which allows the production of non-spherical droplets with complex shapes. Notably, the formulation of internal aqueous phase is nearly unaffected since no specific additive is required. Moreover, considering the excellent biocompatibility of BCA and polyBCA, the produced droplets can be used as micro-bioreactor for enzyme catalysis and even bacterial culture, which well mimic the morphology of cells and bacteria to achieve the biochemical reaction in non-spherical droplets. The present work not only opens a new sight for the stabilization of liquid in nonequilibrium shapes, but may also promote the development of synthetic biology based on non-spherical droplets, and tremendous potential applications are anticipated.
摘要：
由于表面张力引起的界面面积最小化，在复杂和精确的非平衡形状的液体的稳定是具有挑战性的。在这项工作中,一个简单的，不含表面活性剂,描述了通过水溶性亲核试剂引发的高反应性氰基丙烯酸正丁酯（BCA）单体的快速界面聚合（FIP），以精确的非平衡形状稳定液体的共价策略。可以立即实现全界面覆盖，所得到的锚定在界面处的polyBCA薄膜可以支持不相等的界面应力，这允许生产具有复杂形状的非球形液滴。值得注意的是,内部水相的配方几乎不受影响，因为不需要特定的添加剂。此外，考虑到BCA和polyBCA优异的生物相容性，产生的液滴可用作酶催化甚至细菌培养的微型生物反应器，能很好地模拟细胞和细菌的形态，在非球形液滴中实现生化反应。目前的工作不仅为稳定非平衡形状的液体开辟了新的视野，但也可能促进基于非球形液滴的合成生物学的发展，和巨大的潜在应用预计。
