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Fabrication, Densification, and Replica Molding of 3D Carbon Nanotube Microstructures
Published on: July 2, 2012
Detailed structure of diamond-type lipid cubic nanoparticles
Borislav Angelov1, Angelina Angelova, Brigitte Papahadjopoulos-Sternberg
1Institute of Biophysics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. Bl.21, BG-1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|April 28, 2006
Summary
Researchers created novel protein/lipid nanoparticles called cubosomes. These stable, diamond-type cubosomes can be building blocks for advanced nanostructured fluid drug delivery systems.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular chemistry
- Nanotechnology
- Materials science
Background:
- Nonlamellar lipids and protein fragments self-assemble into complex structures.
- Cubosomes are nanoparticles with bicontinuous cubic phases and open water channels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the structure of diamond-type cubic nanoparticles formed by protein/lipid self-assembly.
- To model these nanoparticles mathematically and explore their growth mechanisms.
- To identify the smallest stable cubosomic building block for nanostructured drug delivery vehicles.
Main Methods:
- Supramolecular self-assembly of nonlamellar lipids and immunoglobulin fragments.
- Freeze-fracture electron microscopy for structural characterization.
- Mathematical modeling using nodal surfaces to describe interfaces.
Main Results:
- Formation of stable, diamond-type cubic nanoparticles (cubosomes) with fluid-like interfaces.
- Identification of scaling-up and scaling-down approaches for nanoparticle growth.
- Discovery of the smallest stable diamond-type cubosomic entity.
Conclusions:
- Protein/lipid cubosomes represent a novel building block for hierarchical nanostructures.
- These cubosomes show potential for advanced nanostructured fluid drug delivery vehicles.
- Lipid-bilayer undulations in cubosomes may impact their application in drug delivery.
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