Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 33: Complex Fluids, Colloids, Micelles and Vesicles II

CPP 33.2: Talk

Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 10:30–10:45, ZEU/LICH

Modeling artificial cells to control the local chemical environment — •Nils Göth and Joachim Dzubiella — Applied Theoretical Physics---Computational Physics, Physikalisches Institut, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany

Living cells change and respond to their environment. Synthesized artificial cells (hollow microgels) show in experiments pH-responsive behavior by a pH-dependent membrane permeability and change their pH-environment by a chemical reaction [1]. Here, we report a simple model for such artificial cells based on the feedback mechanism between permeability and pH. We introduce the model on the basis of recent experiments [1] and study the effects of experimentally tunable parameters. The model captures not only the effects observed in the experiments, but further predicts the behavior of mixtures of two different kinds of artificial cells. Thus, we provide guidance for future experiments in the field of collective behavior of artificial cells.

[1] Krehan et al., Chem 11, 102409 (2024).

Keywords: Colloids; Responsive; Reaction; Modeling; Collective