Fig. 5. Comparison between dried coacervates and composition mimics samples.

a The solid line on the phase diagram, obtained by turbidity measurements, shows the range of the composition mimics. The dotted line shows the extension where the SAXS measurements were performed (Fig. 6). b Total volume of solution to coacervate phase volume ratio. The error bars in b represent a constant standard deviation of ±0.25 µL, a difference in volume that was difficult to discern with the naked eye (Supplementary Fig. 22). c U15 concentrations measured within the coacervate. d Partitioning coefficient of U15 ([U15]_{coacervate phase}/[U15]_{dilute phase}). e Whole-droplet FRAP, and f partial-droplet FRAP in dried PDADMA/PAA coacervate samples and mimics with compositions on the same range obtained during drying. Error bars in c–f represent standard deviations among different trials and individual data points are shown in the SI (Supplementary Fig. 24, Supplementary Tables 8 and 9). In c, mimics data represent means and standard deviations of three trials with 15 droplets analyzed over three images, per trial. FRAP mimics data are averages and standard deviations obtained from three trials with at least two bleached droplets per trial for whole-droplet experiments, and three bleached areas per sample for partial-droplet measurements. Photos of bromophenol blue-dyed dried and mimics samples are included above for clarification.