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Particle Deformability Enables Control of Interactions between Membrane-Anchored Nanoparticles
Nikhil Nambiar1, Zachary A Loyd1, Steven M Abel1
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States.
Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation
|October 16, 2023
Summary
Researchers explored how deformable nanoparticles interact on lipid membranes. Stiffer nanoparticles induce membrane deformations, leading to stronger, longer-ranged attractions and controlled self-assembly.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Nanoparticles on membranes induce interactions via membrane deformations.
- Previous research focused on rigid nanoparticles.
- DNA origami allows for deformable nanostructures with tunable properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate interactions of deformable, hinge-like nanostructures on lipid membranes.
- Characterize particle and membrane deformations based on hinge stiffness.
- Quantify effective interactions between deformable nanoparticles.
Main Methods:
- Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations.
- Cholesterol anchors for membrane attachment.
- Umbrella sampling for interaction quantification.
Main Results:
- Flexible particles conform to the membrane; stiffer particles deform it.
- Particles spontaneously aggregate, exhibiting shape changes due to cooperative effects.
- Increased hinge stiffness leads to stronger, longer-ranged attractive interactions.
Conclusions:
- Deformable nanoparticle interactions on membranes can be controlled by particle mechanics.
- Tunable mechanical properties offer novel strategies for particle self-assembly on surfaces.
- This work opens new avenues for designing self-assembling nanomaterials.
