Publication Report

Yuji Higaki,* Miyuka Tateyama, Saya Maeda, Yoshiko Miura

"Aqueous Microphase Separation of Double Hydrophilic Diblock Copolymers with Zwitterionic and Pyranose Units"

Polymer Journal, in press. DOI: 10.1038/s41428-025-01126-5 

Is it possible to create molecular assemblies with periodically arranged pyranose and zwitterions, mimicking cell membrane interface structures, through controlled phase separation?      

Aqueous microphase-separated systems with biomolecular functionalities offer a unique platform for creating mesoscopic compartments. In this study, we investigated double hydrophilic block copolymers (DHBCs) composed of a zwitterionic polymer (PSB4) and a glycopolymer (PGalM).　We demonstrated that while PSB4/PGalM/water ternary blends remain compatible at high concentrations, the corresponding PSB4-b-GalM block copolymers undergo microphase separation, yielding ordered lattices. This distinctive miscibility inversion is driven by a concentration-dependent effective interaction parameter and solution-specific driving forces. These assemblies—featuring periodically arranged zwitterions and pyranose units—successfully mimic the zwitterionic and glycocalyx arrays of cell membranes, offering a novel approach for the interfacial design of advanced biomaterials.

This research was spearheaded by Miyuka Tateyama. Miyuka is an exceptionally gifted researcher who graduated at the top of her class, a testament to her academic brilliance and dedication. She possesses a disciplined approach and a resilient mindset that allows her to pursue long-term projects with remarkable consistency. Beyond her academic excellence, she is a wonderful individual known for her striking long pink hair and a unique fashion sense that reflects her creative personality. She consistently approaches every task with high standards and remarkable mental strength. Her dedication is clearly reflected in the quality of her academic presentations, which are always polished and insightful. Her excellence has been formally recognized with several poster presentation awards. As she moves toward graduation, we have the highest expectations for her future career and sincerely wish her continued success and happiness.

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Nos. JP22H02147 (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)), JP22H04555, JP22H04553, and JP19H05714 (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Area: Aquatic Functional Materials), JP23H02015 [Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)], and JP22K19068 [Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research].