Fig. 6: The phase behavior of a CNC-PEG-dextran aqueous mixture with a coupled LLPS and LCPS process.

a Time evolution of the multiphase separation of CNC-PEG-dextran aqueous mixture (4–3.75–3.5 wt% at 21 °C). b Multiphase separation kinetic of the mixture that shows a coupled LLPS and LCPS process. c Differential interference contrast and fluorescence images of the multiphase separation through nucleation and grow process. The FITC-dextran molecules are enriched inside the cholesteric tactoids and merge into larger droplets, and eventually fuse into bulk dextran-rich cholesteric phase (scale bars: 50 μm). d Time evolution of the inversed multiphase separation with a composition of 6–3.75–3.5 wt% at 50 °C. e Inversed multiphase separation kinetic of the mixture. f Time-lapse POM images demonstrate the formation of negative (yellow rectangle) and positive tactoids (red rectangle) and their vertical movement during the multiphase separation, resulting in an inversed cholesteric-isotropic phase behavior (scale bars: 100 μm). g A schematic description of the coupled LLPS-LCPS process through nucleation and growth of polymers inside the tactoids. h Illustration of the inversed multiphase separation due to the accumulation of negative and positive tactoids.