Functional Surfactants for Molecular Fishing,Capsule Creation,and Single-Cell Gene Expression

Creating a single surfactant that is open to manipulation,while maintaining its surface activity,robustness,and compatibility,to expand the landscape of surfactant-dependent assays is extremely challenging.We report an oxidation-responsive precursor with thioethers and multiple 1,2-diols for creating a variety of functional surfactants from one parent surfactant.Using these multifunctional surfactants,we stabilize microfluidics-generated aqueous droplets.The droplets encapsulate different components and immerse in a bioinert oil with distinct interfaces where an azide-bearing surfactant allow fishing of biomolecules from the droplets,aldehyde-bearing surfactant allow fabrication of microcapsules,and hydroxyl-bearing surfactants,with/without oxidized thioethers,allow monitoring of single-cell gene expression.Creating multifunctional surfactants poses opportunities for broad applications,including adsorption,bioanalytics,catalysis,formulations,coatings,and programmable subset of emulsions.