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
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.