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Updated: Feb 7, 2026
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Lipid Bilayer Vesicle Generation Using Microfluidic Jetting
Published on: February 21, 2014
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Self-assembled reversed bilayers directed by pnictogen bonding to form vesicles in solution
Shiva Moaven1, Jingze Yu, Maythe Vega
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Box 41061, Lubbock, Texas 79409-1061, USA. anthony.f.cozzolino@ttu.edu.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|July 25, 2018
Summary
Researchers used pnictogen bonding to create reversed bilayer vesicles. These artificial structures mimic cell membranes, aiding in their study and understanding.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Biophysics
Background:
- Artificial vesicles are crucial for studying biological cell membranes.
- Understanding cell membrane structure and function is a key challenge in biology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of pnictogen bonding for directing the self-assembly of reversed bilayer structures.
- To create novel artificial vesicles with potential applications in membrane studies.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing antimony(iii) alkoxide cages that self-assemble via SbO interactions.
- Employing pnictogen bonding to control supramolecular assembly in two dimensions.
- Processing self-assembled structures into vesicles in solution.
Main Results:
- A true reversed bilayer structure was successfully formed in the solid state.
- Antimony(iii) alkoxide cages self-assembled through strong SbO interactions.
- Long alkyl tails facilitated the formation of vesicles from the reversed bilayers.
Conclusions:
- Pnictogen bonding is an effective strategy for directing the self-assembly of reversed bilayers.
- The resulting vesicles are structurally reversed compared to biological cell membranes.
- These artificial vesicles offer a new platform for investigating cell membrane properties.
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