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Vesicle Origami: Cuboid Phospholipid Vesicles Formed by Template‐Free Self‐Assembly
Author(s) -
Neuhaus Frederik,
Mueller Dennis,
Tanasescu Radu,
Balog Sandor,
Ishikawa Takashi,
Brezesinski Gerald,
Zumbuehl Andreas
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201701634
Subject(s) - vesicle , bilayer , cuboid , membrane , lipid bilayer , self assembly , materials science , chemical physics , crystallography , chemistry , nanotechnology , geometry , mathematics , biochemistry
Phospholipid liposomes are archetypical self‐assembled structures. To minimize the surface tension, the vesicles typically are spherical. Deciphering the bilayer code, the basic physical interactions between phospholipids would allow these molecules to be utilized as building blocks for novel, non‐spherical structures. A 1,2‐diamidophospholipid is presented that self‐assembles into a cuboid structure. Owing to intermolecular hydrogen bonding, the bilayer membranes form an exceptionally tight subgel packing, leading to a maximization of flat structural elements and a minimization of any edges. These conditions are optimized in the geometrical structure of a cube. Surprisingly, the lateral surface pressure in the membrane is only one third of the value typically assumed for a bilayer membrane, questioning a long‐standing rule‐of‐thumb.