255: Programmable coacervate nanoreactors: Linking molecular architecture to controlled nanoparticle synthesis

Abstract: Understanding how molecular design dictates function is central to advancing nanostructured materials. Here, complex coacervate core micelles (C3Ms) formed from PEG-b-poly(L-glutamic acid) and poly(R-lysine) serve as programmable liquid nanoreactors for gold nanoparticle formation under mild aqueous conditions without added reductants. By systematically varying polypeptide length and PEG molecular weight, we establish direct structure–property relationships linking nanoreactor architecture to confined redox kinetics, nanoparticle size, and dispersity. Scattering and spectroscopic measurements confirm that reduction occurs within structurally intact C3Ms, isolating the role of nanoscale confinement from sequence-specific chemistry. These results demonstrate how molecular-level architectural control translates into emergent chemical function in soft nanomaterials