Jellyfish-Like Janus Polymeric Cage

We report a new jellyfish-like Janus polymeric cage and its synthesis by two-step emulsion interfacial polymerization. The “head” part is generated by the free-radical polymerization of styrene/divinylbenzene in the paraffin emulsion droplet. A hydrophilic polymer layer, for example, polyacrylamide is coated onto the exposed side of the head by further feeding the monomer during the polymerization. The “belly” part is achieved in the second emulsion interfacial polymerization by copolymerizing the hydrophobic monomers in the internal paraffin phase with hydrophilic monomers such as acrylic acid in the external aqueous phase. The “head” and “belly” parts are covalently connected, making the Janus cage robust in solvents. The “belly” shell is composed of a hydrophobic interior surface and a hydrophilic exterior surface, which are responsible for selective loading of organic species from the aqueous surroundings. The Janus contour surface of the cage is responsible for delivering the cargo toward the targets.