Self-healing liquid nanodroplets
Phys. Rev. Applied 25, 044026 – Published 10 April, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/rhtm-6yd1
Abstract
Self-healing in a representative self-organizing physical system is presented based on three-dimensional nonlinear numerical simulations. The significance of nonphysical spatial boundaries of surface energy discontinuities that create static interfaces in liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is investigated. The spatial boundaries and LLPS are reminiscent of “coazervation” in biological cells as well as the emergence of “compactons” with finite support. A subspace of the system inside these spatial boundaries can be designed to acquire a permanent structural memory of a nanodroplet that enables it to regulate the organization of the liquid as a nanodroplet of a specific shape and size. This memory is an outcome of the localization process of liquid nanodroplets in the subspace and leads to its healing against any damage during and after LLPS. Interestingly, these boundaries can also ensure the delocalization of a subspace in a mix of neighboring subspaces holding localized nanodroplets, initiating a strong bias in the direction of liquid flow. Thus, a seemingly simple system emerges as a complex network of interacting localized nanodroplets separated by the spatial boundaries. The methodology outlined in this paper is robust and quite general and will be found applicable in various liquids, gels, and polymers under the appropriate force fields. This study is crucial in developing self-repairing nanodevices, soft nanomachines, and nanomedicines and understanding the transport processes in biological and active-matter systems.
