We are proud to announce that the research article entitled “Impact of vibrational strong coupling on liquid–liquid phase separation in supramolecular polymers”, published by the Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, FO.R.T.H, in collaboration with the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Laboratory of Macromolecular and Organic Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, the School of Material Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, and the Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego, has been selected as the Pick-of the week by the journal Chemical Science (The flagship journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry). Furthermore, the article has also been included in several prestigious themed collections: 15th Anniversary: Chemical Science community collection (2025) and Chemical Science HOT Article Collection (2025).
Summary
Most of us think of empty space as truly empty, but it is not. It’s buzzing with tiny, invisible energy ripples called vacuum fluctuations. These fluctuations are bursts where particles briefly pop in and out of existence. Trapping light in a special environment so that it strongly interacts with matter- known as ‘light-matter strong coupling’ - can reshape the way chemical reactions happen. Our study explores how this concept applies to liquid–liquid phase separation - a type of molecular “sorting” in which a solution splits into two distinct liquid phases. Last year, we discovered that the growth of supramolecular fibers can entropically trigger this separation. Now, we demonstrate that by placing this system in an optical cavity (Fig.), the light–matter strong coupling controls the process, without the addition of chemicals, real photons or changing temperature or pressure. It does this by changing the system’s energy landscape, making it harder for fibers to form. Our high-resolution microscopy images reveal that droplets (tactoids) appear more slowly in the cavity. In situ scattering experiments confirm that the reason is simple but powerful: the coupling itself suppresses fiber formation. This finding is more than a laboratory curiosity as it also tells us about strong coupling favoring of water clusters or oligomers instead of supramolecular polymerization. By demonstrating that light–matter strong coupling can steer self-assembly processes, we open the door to new ways of designing materials and medicines. Imagine smart biomaterials that respond to different resonant optical modes (even in ‘dark’) instead of chemical triggers, or therapies where delicate biological processes are controlled without invasive interventions.
MPIP researchers, Profs. George Fytas , Werner Steffen and Bert Meijer, in collaboration with Drs. K. Joseph and H. Fu of Prof. E.W. Meijer’s group in the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands, demonstrate that light-matter strong coupling can reshape the energy landscape of supramolecular polymerization, thereby slowing down liquid-liquid phase separation in supramolecular fibrils.
Publication link: https://doi.org/10.1039/D5SC04149J
Prof. G. Fytas Group: https://sites.mpip-mainz.mpg.de/erc-smartphon
