| Issue |
Europhys. Lett.
Volume 70, Number 2, April 2005
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 271 - 277 | |
| Section | Interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i2004-10477-9 | |
| Published online | 23 March 2005 | |
Marangoni transport in lipid nanotubes
1
Institute Curie, UMR 168 - 26 rue d'Ulm, F-75248, Paris Cedex 05, France
2
Department of Physical Chemistry, and Microtechnology Centre Chalmers University of Technology - SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
Received:
11
August
2004
Accepted:
23
February
2005
We give a simple picture of transient and stationary transport in
lipid nanotubes connecting two vesicles, when a difference of
membrane tension is imposed at time 
, either by pressing one
vesicle with a micro-fiber, or by adding a surplus of membrane
lipid. The net result is a transport of membrane from the tense
towards the floppy vesicle. In the early stage, the tube remains
cylindrical, and the gradient of surface tension gives rise to
two opposite flows of the internal liquid: a Marangoni flow
towards the direction of high tension, and a Poiseuille flow
(induced by Laplace pressures) in the opposite direction. At
longer time, the tube reaches a stationary state, where curvature
and Laplace pressure are balanced. Marangoni flows dominate for
giant vesicles, where Laplace pressure is negligible.
PACS: 87.16.Dg – Membranes, bilayers, and vesicles / 47.85.Np – Fluidics
© EDP Sciences, 2005
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