Fig. 4: Composition of the filament and spiral patterns.

a Formation of spiral patterns by the addition of a 1 μL DEX-CaCl2 (50 mM) droplet with Rhodamine 6G (0.05%) to a round cell (diameter 15.8 mm) filled with PEG-SDBS (2.5 mM) solution (depth 2.5 mm). The photo was taken under a fluorescent microscope. b Composition of the filament/stripe: Ca(DBS)2-PEG-MB particles (diameter ~1 μm) and DEX-MB-CaCl2 droplets (diameter ~1 μm). Photos were taken under a microscope.