Buckling instability of lipid tubules with multibilayer walls under local radial indentation.
The mechanical behavior of self-assembled lipid tubules is an important property which determines their suitability for technological applications. We study the instability of multibilayer lipid tubules (with wall thickness t and external radius R(ext)) beyond elastic response under local radial atomic force microscopy indentations. A discontinuity in force-distance curves associated with the buckling instability of lipid tubules is observed. The critical force at which lipid tubules undergo a buckling transition linearly scales as t/R(ext). In addition, a reduced critical buckling force is found to extend a distance of approximately 1 microm from the end of lipid tubules.
Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering, Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816, USA.
Yue
Y
Zhao
Linan
L
An
Jiyu
J
Fang
D000327:Adsorption; D053280:Diynes / Q000737:chemistry; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D005898:Glass / Q000737:chemistry; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry
D053280:Diynes; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; C053923:1,2-bis(10,12-tricosadiynoyl)phosphatidylcholine