Polymer Vesicles as Microreactors for Bioinspired Calcium Carbonate Precipitation

Giant polymer vesicles made by electroformation have been shown to encapsulate salts up to concentrations of about 10 mM. The impermeability of these "polymersomes" to calcium ions is demonstrated by the use of fluorescent probes dedicated to calcium analysis. Permeability to calcium ions can be triggered by the addition of calcimycin, an ionophore molecule that is able to transport cations selectively through the membrane. As a result, we show that the mineralization of calcium carbonate can be induced within the polymersomes, which were previously loaded with carbonate ions. This is a further step toward the use of polymersomes as microreactors and the study of mineralization schemes, including biomimetic ones, in confined environments.