title: Spontaneous partitioning of particles into cellar structures in a membrane system.
abstract: Membranes are often used for material partitioning in biological systems and industry. Here we report a novel physical mechanism of particle partitioning using topological transformation of bilayer membranes. Upon phase separation of a homogeneous sponge phase of a membrane system into a dense sponge and a water phase, we found quite unusual partitioning behavior of particles into the cellar structure of a water phase. The compartments next to one having particles always have no particles, and those next to a compartment having no particles always have particles. We confirm that this partitioning is purely geometrically induced, and thus it may be universal.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Japan.
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isobe
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008566:Membranes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008853:Microscopy; D010316:Particle Size; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D014867:Water