Chloroform-enhanced incorporation of hydrophobic gold nanocrystals into dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) vesicle membranes.
Vesicles of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) formed by extrusion (liposomes) with hydrophobic alkanethiol-capped Au nanocrystals were studied. Dodecanethiol-capped 1.8-nm-diameter Au nanocrystals accumulate in the lipid bilayer, but only when dried lipid-nanocrystal films were annealed with chloroform prior to hydration. Without chloroform annealing, the Au nanocrystals phase separate from DOPC and do not load into the liposomes. Au nanocrystals with slightly longer capping ligands of hexadecanethiol or with a larger diameter of 4.1 nm disrupted vesicle formation and created lipid assemblies with many internal lamellar attachments.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Materials Institute, Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712-1062, United States.
Michael R
MR
Rasch
Yixuan
Y
Yu
Christian
C
Bosoy
Brian W
BW
Goodfellow
Brian A
BA
Korgel
D002725:Chloroform / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008081:Liposomes; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry*; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties
D008081:Liposomes; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; C013976:dodecylmercaptan; D006046:Gold; D002725:Chloroform; C017251:1,2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine