Cytomimetic chemistry

Generally, submicroscopic (20–500 nm) vesicles or giant liposomes (5–200mm) were used as the model membranes to mimic cellular behaviors. however, the former could not be seen directly, while the latter will face the stability problem to some content. From year 2004, this group have prepared a serious of stimuli-responsive giant vesicles with a cell-like size from the self-assembly of hyperbranched polymers, which show combined advantages of liposomes and polymersomes in structure and property, for example the good membrane fluidity like liposomes and the good stability and designability like polymersomes. Due to the size and property advantages, hyperbranched polymer vesicles have become idea model systems to mimic cellular processes like fusion, fission, budding, aggregation, breathing and so on in a real time and vivid way. Very recently, we are more focused on mimic the functions of cells or some simple animals like jellyfish, urchin, firefly, for example in the transmembrane matter transfer and energy conversion, controlled motion, dynamic light emitting, photosynthesis and so on. The aim of these studies is to open a new light on disclosing the mechanisms and functions of natural cellular behaviors as well as on producing new intelligent materials or interfaces.  

1. Zhou, Y. F.; Yan, D. Y., “Real-Time Membrane Fusion of Giant Polymer Vesicles”, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2005, 127, 10468.

2. Zhou, Y. F.; Yan, D. Y., “Real-Time Membrane Fission of Giant Polymer Vesicles”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2005, 44, 3223.

3. Jin, H. B.; Zheng, Y. L.; Liu, Y.; Cheng, H. X.; Zhou, Y. F.*; Yan, D.Y., “Reversible and Large-Scale Cytomimetic Vesicle Aggregation Based on Light-Responsive Host-Guest Interactions”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2011, 50, 10352.

4. Dong, R. J.; Zhu, B. S.; Zhou, Y. F.*; Yan, D. Y.; Zhu, X. Y.*, “Breathing” Vesicles with Jellyfish-like On-Off Switchable Fluorescence Behavior”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2012, 51, 11633.

Xu, Q. F.; Huang, T.; Li, S. L.; Li, K.; Li, C. L.; Liu, Y. N.; Wang, Y. L.; Yu, C. Y.; Zhou, Y. F*., “Emulsion-Assisted Polymerization-Induced Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Giant Sea Urchin-like Aggregates on a Large Scale”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2018, 57, 8043.