Journal
ACS NANO
Volume 13, Issue 3, Pages 3573-3579Publisher
AMER CHEMICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b00086
Keywords
self-assembly; disclinations; bicelles; phospholipid cones; micromotors
Categories
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [21773050, 21528501]
- Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province for Distinguished Young Scholars [JC2018003]
- Open Funds of the State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry [SKLEAC201707]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Topological defects are crucial to the shaping of the crystalline membrane systems such as lipid bilayers, virus capsids, and graphene as well as the arrangement of cells in tissues. In a typical case, the introduction of disclination defects elastically buckles the crystalline membranes into conical shapes. However, how planar membranes transform to cones triggered by disclinations is still rarely observed in the experiments. Herein, we experimentally observe the transformation from phospholipid bicelles to cones in response to disclinations. During the transformation process, the wall thickness increases, while the conical generatrix length remains the same with respect to the radius of bicelles. The cones with apex angles of 112.8 degrees, 83.6 degrees, 60 degrees, 39 degrees, and 19.2 degrees are observed when 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 pentagon defects are introduced, respectively. Monodispersed microcones are obtained by adjusting aging temperature and time. These microcones are then used as templates to form platinum conical micromotors with open tips or closed tips, which display different heading directions in H2O2 solution. Our work provides a shape evolution pathway of planar membranes in response to disclinations. The homogeneous microcones can find wide applications in micromotors fabrication, the study of curvature-dependent processes, and the formation of advanced materials.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available