Lipid tubule self-assembly: Length dependence on cooling rate through a first-order phase transition
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY (United States)
The formation kinetics and self-assembly of multilamellar tubules of the diacetylenic phosphoilipid 1,2-bis(tricosa-10,12-diynoyl)-sn-glycerol-3-phospocholine formed under controlled cooling rates were studied by x-ray diffraction and optical, atomic force, and scanning electron microscopy. Tubule formation was driven by a reversible first-order phase transition from an intralamellar, chain-melted L{sub {alpha}} phase to a chain-frozen L{sub {beta}} phase. These observations are the basis of a highly efficient method of tubule production in which tubule lengths can be controlled, between 1 and 100 micrometers, by varying the cooling rate. These tubules can be made in suspensions with 10 percent lipoid by mass, far exceeding the lipid solubility limit. 22 refs., 5 figs.
- OSTI ID:
- 105911
- Journal Information:
- Science, Vol. 267, Issue 5204; Other Information: PBD: 17 Mar 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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