title: Radial elasticity of self-assembled lipid tubules.
abstract: Self-assembled lipid tubules with crystalline bilayer walls represent useful supramolecular architectures which hold promise as vehicles for the controlled release of preloaded drugs and templates for the synthesis of one-dimensional inorganic materials. We study the local elasticity of lipid tubules of 1,2-bis(tricosa-10,12-diynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine by radial atomic force microscope indentation, coupled with finite element analysis. A reduced stiffness is found to extend a distance of approximately 600 nm from the ends of lipid tubules. The middle section of lipid tubules is homogeneous in terms of their radial elasticity with a Young's modulus of approximately 703 MPa. The inhomogeneous radial elasticity likely arises from the variation of lipid packing density near the tubule ends.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center and Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816, USA.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Karan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamhane
authors.forename: Xuejun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Linan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Jiyu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fang
mesh_terms: D016880:Anisotropy; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D010767:Phosphorylcholine