Self-Assembly of Smart Multifunctional Hybrid Compartments with Programmable Bioactivity

Artificial microcompartments are highly desirable for understanding the mechanism of formation of primitive cells for the origin of life and have technological effects in broad fields such as materials science, catalysis, environmental remediation, biomedicine, and biotechnology. However, it remains a critical challenge for the construction of a structurally stable, semipermeable, and multifunctional compartment that can maintain a protective and confined internal space while allowing internalization of ingredients. Here, we present a strategy for construction of novel smart multifunctional hybrid compartments (SMHCs) with semipermeability, stimulus-response, and enzymatic bioactivity. The smart compartments were assembled by packing magnetic nanoparticles on oil/water interface, and the interstitial pores were gated by designed thermosensitive copolymer brushes. The materials characterization, multifunctionality, and on-demand permeability of prepared hybrid compartments were investigated. Notably, biological macromolecules can be easily encapsulated without sacrifice of the original bioactivity. We exploited the reversible permeability of these responsive inorganic-organic smart compartments, demonstrated temperature-triggered release of small molecules, and displayed SMHCs as a light programmable artificial microreactor.