Graphene Oxide and Lipid Membranes: Size-Dependent Interactions

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biophysics
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Graphene oxide (GO) interactions with lipid membranes are crucial for developing advanced materials.
• Previous research established layer-by-layer assembly of GO and liposomes into multilamellar structures.
• Understanding these interactions is key for controlling self-assembly processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of graphene oxide sheet size and liposome size on their interaction.
• To explore the differences in interaction between small and large liposomes with graphene oxide.
• To further characterize the layer-by-layer assembly of these components.

Main Methods:

• Utilized quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) for real-time electroacoustic sensing.
• Employed indirect nanoplasmonic sensing (INPS) for real-time optical sensing.
• Studied graphene oxide sheets of varying sizes (90-5000 nm) and different liposome sizes.

Main Results:

• Graphene oxide sheet size and liposome size are critical parameters determining multilayer structure formation.
• Interaction dynamics differ significantly between small and large liposomes.
• Spontaneous liposome rupture was observed on large graphene oxide sheets, indicating size-dependent membrane disruption.

Conclusions:

• The size of both graphene oxide sheets and liposomes plays a vital role in dictating the outcome of their interactions.
• Controlled liposome rupture on large graphene oxide sheets offers a pathway for novel material fabrication.
• These findings advance the understanding of bio-nano material self-assembly for potential applications.