Electromechanical Limits of Polymersomes

Abstract

Self-assembled membranes of amphiphilic diblock copolymers enable comparisons of cohesiveness with lipid membranes over the range of hydrophobic thicknesses d=3-15 nm. At zero mechanical tension the breakdown potential V_c for polymersomes with d=15 nm is 9 V compared to 1 V for liposomes with d=3 nm. Nonetheless, electromechanical stresses at breakdown universally exhibit a square dependence on V_c, and membrane capacitance shows the expected strong d-dependence, conforming to simple thermodynamic models. The viscous nature of the diblock membranes is apparent in the protracted post-poration dynamics.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables and 1 chair. Submitted to PRL (May 24, 2001

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“…Vesicles have often been observed to burst upon spreading onto a solid substrate (26), strong aspiration in a micropipette (27), or application of intense electric fields (28). In all these situations, bursting is caused by an increase in membrane tension above the lysis threshold.…”

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“…211 In the group of Discher, much effort has been put into establishing the physicochemical properties of polymersomes based on poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polybutadiene (PEO-PBD) and poly(ethylene oxide)-bpolyethylethylene (PEO-PEE). 204,[214][215][216] As a first step toward in vivo applications, encapsulation experiments were performed with the proteins myoglobin, hemoglobin, and albumin ( Figure 20).…”

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