Cationic lipid absorption on titanium: a counterion-mediated bilayer-to-lipid-tubule-network transition.
By carefully tuning the screening effects of monovalent salt in solution, it is possible to control the formation of different lipid morphologies on a titanium dioxide substrate. A transition from an absorbed vesicle layer to fluid lipid bilayers is observed as a function of monovalent salt concentration in solution, and, above a threshold salt concentration, a network of lipid tubules with a fascinating distorted-hexagonal structure is formed in two dimensions on the substrate. We present fluorescence microscopy data for these different morphologies, confirming the connectivity and fluidity of the bilayers and tubules.
Yuan
Jing
J
MARTECH, Department of Physics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, USA.
Parker
Emily R
ER
Hirst
Linda S
LS