Morphology and phase behavior of two-component lipid membranes.
The stability and shapes of domains with different bending rigidities in lipid membranes are investigated. These domains can be formed from the inclusion of an impurity in a lipid membrane or from the phase separation within the membrane. We show that, for weak line tensions, surface tensions and finite spontaneous curvatures, an equilibrium phase of protruding circular domains or striped domains may be obtained. We also predict a possible phase transition between the investigated morphologies.
Ni
Dong
D
Key Laboratory of Failure Mechanics, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China. nd01@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn
Shi
Hui-Ji
HJ
Yin
Ya-Jun
YJ
Niu
Li-Sha
LS