| Issue |
Europhys. Lett.
Volume 59, Number 2, July 2002
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 311 - 317 | |
| Section | Interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i2002-00243-1 | |
| Published online | 01 July 2002 | |
Kinetic pathway of spontaneous vesicle formation
Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh
Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ, UK
Corresponding author: S.U.Egelhaaf@ed.ac.uk
Received:
30
January
2002
Accepted:
16
April
2002
The spontaneous formation of lipid vesicles (liposomes) in aqueous lecithin/bile salt mixtures is studied using time-resolved static and dynamic light scattering. These measurements reveal a strong dependence of the kinetic rates and end-state liposome properties on total amphiphile concentration and, even more pronounced, on ionic strength. The observed trends contradict equilibrium calculations, but are in quantitative agreement with a kinetic model that we present. This model identifies the key kinetic steps during vesicle formation: rapid formation of disc-like intermediate micelles, growth of these micelles and closure to form vesicles. This work offers conclusive evidence for kinetic rather than thermodynamic control of the end-state properties.
PACS: 82.70.Uv – Surfactants, micellar solutions, vesicles, lamellae, amphiphilic systems (hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions) / 82.39.Rt – Reactions in complex biological systems / 87.14.Cc – Lipids
© EDP Sciences, 2002
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