New nanostructured microgels with dynamically reconfigurable morphologies

New nanostructured microgels with dynamically reconfigurable morphologies

Researchers Cristina Álvarez-Solana, Alberto Concellón and M. Blanca Ros, from the Liquid Crystals and Polymers Group at the Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute (INMA), a joint institute of the CSIC –University of Zaragoza, have developed a new class of nanostructured microgels formed by the supramolecular self-assembly of bent-core amphiphilic molecules.

These microgels are characterised by the preservation of highly organised fibrillar and helical nanostructures within them. Unlike conventional microgels, which are usually based on polymer networks, the systems developed in this work are formed from low molecular weight molecules that self-assemble through non-covalent interactions, resulting in soft materials with hierarchical self-assembly.

In addition, the researchers have demonstrated that these microgels can be integrated into complex emulsions in the form of droplets with dynamically reconfigurable morphologies. This capability positions these materials as a new platform for adaptive soft materials, with potential applications in sensors, controlled release, bioimaging, and optical devices.

The work has been published in Small (Wiley), one of the high-impact journals in nanoscience and materials science, recognised for disseminating innovative research.

«Self-assembled nanostructured microgels with reconfigurable morphologies»

Enlace: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smll.202600013?af=R
Autores: Cristina Álvarez-Solana, Alberto Concellón, M. Blanca Ros
Small 2026, e00013, 17th Jan. 2026

Abstract: We report a new class of supramolecularly assembled complex emulsions in which nanostructured organogels derived from bent-core amphiphiles constitute one of the internal compartments. The molecular design of these amphiphiles, combining biphenyl (Bi) or ester (B1) lateral units with tetraethylene glycol and alkyl terminal chains, promotes efficient aggregation pathways and robust gelation. The resulting organogels exhibit fibrillar, tubular, and helical networks, with several systems displaying hierarchical arrangements characteristic of helical nanofilament (HNF) organizations, thereby transcribing liquid-crystalline order into gel phases. Emulsification of the organogels into aqueous media yields supramolecular microgels that not only preserve their internal fibrillar architectures but also retain HNF-like order, representing the first demonstration of nanostructured microgels formed through the self-assembly of low-molecular-weight amphiphiles. Beyond single microgels, we prepare complex emulsions in which an organogel phase coexists with a fluorocarbon oil. These multicompartment droplets exhibit dynamic reconfigurability, switching between organogel-in-fluorocarbon-in-water (OG/F/W), Janus, and fluorocarbon-in-organogel-in-water (F/OG/W) morphologies. The ability to couple bent-core self-assembly with colloidal processing into reconfigurable complex emulsions establishes nanostructured microgels as an innovative adaptive soft-material platform with opportunities in sensing, controlled delivery, bioimaging, and photonic technologies.

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