Complex coacervate‐based materials for biomedicine

Abstract

There has been increasing interest in complex coacervates for deriving and transporting biomaterials. Complex coacervates are a dense, polyelectrolyte‐rich liquid that results from the electrostatic complexation of oppositely charged macroions. Coacervates have long been used as a strategy for encapsulation, particularly in food and personal care products. More recent efforts have focused on the utility of this class of materials for the encapsulation of small molecules, proteins, RNA, DNA, and other biomaterials for applications ranging from sensing to biomedicine. Furthermore, coacervate‐related materials have found utility in other areas of biomedicine, including cartilage mimics, tissue culture scaffolds, and adhesives for wet, biological environments. Here, we discuss the self‐assembly of complex coacervate‐based materials, current challenges in the intelligent design of these materials, and their utility applications in the broad field of biomedicine. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2017, 9:e1442. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1442 This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Diagnostic Tools > In Vitro Nanoparticle-Based Sensing Implantable Materials and Surgical Technologies > Nanotechnology in Tissue Repair and Replacement