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Facile Preparation of Internally Self-assembled Lipid Particles Stabilized by Carbon Nanotubes
Published on: February 19, 2016
Autoxidized phospholipids in hexane: nano-self-assemblies studied by synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering
Eleonora V Shtykova1, Vladimir V Volkov, Hua-Jie Wang
1Institute of Crystallography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 59, 119333 Moscow, Russia.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|September 6, 2006
Summary
Autoxidized phospholipids form reverse micelles and spherical/cylindrical aggregates in hexane. The proportion of reverse micelles increased significantly during oxidation, impacting biological membrane processes.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Materials Science
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Phospholipids are crucial components of biological membranes.
- Oxidation of phospholipids can alter membrane structure and function.
- Understanding self-assembly in model systems provides insights into biological processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the structure of self-assembled autoxidized phospholipids in dilute hexane.
- To develop a self-consistent model for these aggregates, including heterogeneities and polydispersity.
- To investigate changes in aggregate composition during phospholipid oxidation.
Main Methods:
- Synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was employed for structural analysis.
- A model was built considering inner heterogeneities and polydispersity of aggregates.
- Scattering intensity was analyzed as a combination of partial intensities weighted by volume fractions.
Main Results:
- The system was modeled as a mixture of polydisperse reverse micelles and spherical/cylindrical aggregates.
- Spherical aggregates were characterized as hollow spheres (inner radius 0.7 nm, outer radius 1.5 nm).
- During oxidation, reverse micelle content increased to ~80%, while other aggregates decreased, with minimal changes in aggregate geometry.
Conclusions:
- Phospholipid oxidation significantly alters the self-assembled structures in solution.
- The increase in reverse micelles suggests a shift in aggregation behavior.
- This research enhances understanding of phospholipid oxidation relevant to biological membranes.
