Lipid-Assisted formation and dispersion of aqueous and bilayer-embedded Nano-C 6o
Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
5-5-2009
Abstract
Lipid assemblies provide a biocompatible approach for preparing aqueous nanoparticles. In this work, dipalmitoyl- phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) was used to assist in the formation and dispersion of C 60 and nano-C 60 aggregates using a modified reverse phase evaporation (REV) method. This method led to the rapid formation of aqueous nano-C 60 at DPPC/C 60 molar ratios from 500:1 to 100:1 (12-38 nm; verified by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy), which were present in the bulk phase and encapsulated within vesicles. In addition to forming nanoparticles, C 60 was trapped within the vesicle bilayer and led to a reduction in the lipid melting temperature. Solvent extraction was used to isolate nano-C 60 from the lipids and bilayer-embedded C 60. Our results suggest that bilayer-embedded C 60 was present as molecular C 60 and as small amorphous nano-C 60 (2.3 ± 0.4 nm), which clustered in the aqueous phase after the lipids were extracted. In addition to developing a new technique for nano-C 60 formation, our results suggest that the lipid bilayer may be used as a hydrophobic region for dispersing and assembling small nano-C 60. © 2009 American Chemical Society.
Publication Title, e.g., Journal
Langmuir
Volume
25
Issue
9
Citation/Publisher Attribution
Chen, Yanjing, and Geoffrey D. Bothun. "Lipid-Assisted formation and dispersion of aqueous and bilayer-embedded Nano-C 6o." Langmuir 25, 9 (2009): 4875-4879. doi: 10.1021/la804124q.