Buckling of Lipid Tubules in Shrinking Liquid Droplets

Abstract

Self-assembled hollow lipid tubules are interesting and potentially useful supramolecular structures. Here, we study the deformation of lipid tubules of 1,2-bis(tricosa-10,12-diynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DC8,9PC) trapped inside liquid droplets on glass substrates. The interface tension of the shrinking liquid droplets exerts a compression force on the ends of the trapped lipid tubules, and causes them to buckle. This provides a method to measure their mechanical properties. The Young's modulus of the DC8,9PC lipid tubules is estimated to approximately 1.07 GPa. As the strain energy of the buckled tubules builds up, they poke through the interface of shrinking liquid droplets and then adhere onto glass substrates to form looplike shapes.

Self‐assembled organic nanotubes: Toward attoliter chemistry

“…At the same time, unveiling the mechanical properties of a single piece of LNT by us and other research groups is also developing and gaining a lot of interest. [91][92][93][94] Further progress in the research on supramolecular assembly will certainly lead to the appearance of revolutionary organic nanotubes that have big influence in the world.…”

Ordered arrays of self-assembled lipid tubules: fabrication and applications

“…Also the aligned tubules can be gradually added on the patterned Au substrate by multiple withdrawals from the tubule solution. A density of y250 tubules per 500 mm 6 500 mm can be achieved after 6 withdrawals at a rate of 1 mm min 21 The water contact angle is about 38u on a bare Au (111) substrate and about 110u on a DDT monolayer at room temperature. The tubules terminated by phosphocholine groups are hydrophilic.…”

“…where c is the surface tension of the liquid, h glass and h PDMS are the contact angles of the channel, and a and b are the height and width of the channel. For water at 20 uC, we have c = 72.8 dyn cm 21 , h glass = y8u, and h PDMS = y12u. Given these parameters, a capillary pressure of y3.2 6 10 5 N m 22 can be generated in a 1 mm wide and 0.8 mm high channel.…”

“…Recently, mechanical properties of lipid tubules have been studied. [19][20][21] The Young's moduli of the DC 8,9 PC microtubules and the glycolipid nanotubes are estimated to be y1.07 GPa and y0.72 GPa, respectively. Self-assembled lipid tubules with moderate stiffness represent potentially useful supramolecular architectures.…”

Construction of complex nanostructures in solution phase

“…Even a bended nanorod or deformed nanoring may be employed as spring. [141][142] In addition to a variety of structural nanosprings, functional springs may give a new direction to design nanosprings and realize the functionalization of springs in nanoscale.…”