Thermally Driven Dynamic Behaviors in Polymeric Vesicles

Abstract Stimuli‐responsive polymeric vesicles offer a versatile platform for mimicking dynamic cell‐like behaviors for synthetic cell applications. In this study, thermally responsive polymeric droplets derived from poly(ethylene oxide)‐poly(butylene oxide) (PEO‐PBO) polymersomes, aiming to create synthetic cell models that mimic key biological functions are developed. Upon heating, the nanoscale vesicles undergo fusion, transforming into sponge‐like microscale droplets enriched with membrane features. By modulating the temperature, these droplets display dynamic properties such as contractility, temperature‐induced fusion, and cargo trapping, including small molecules and bacteria, thereby demonstrating their ability to dynamically interface with biological entities. The findings demonstrate the potential of our sponge‐like droplets in synthetic cell applications, contributing to the understanding of PEO‐PBO polymersomes’ unique characteristics, expanding the capabilities of synthetic cell structures, and representing an exciting possibility for advancing soft matter engineering to cell‐like behaviors.