Self-Assembled lipid tubules with crystalline bilayer walls are supramolecular architectures with promise in a number of applications including templated mineralization, drug delivery systems, biocompatible nanoreactors, and nanofluidics. The objective of this proposed research is to systematically study the local mechanical properties (stiffness, Young?s modulus, and failure) of lipid tubules by radial indentation with an atomic force microscope tip and finite-element analysis. The specific aims are summarized as follows: (1) synthesize lipid tubules with different diameters, wall thicknesses, chemical composition, and molecular order by modifying the conditions of tubule formation and the chemical structures of lipids, (2) study the relationship between tubule morphologies and mechanical properties, (3) investigate the effect of chemical composition, intermolecular interaction, and photopolymerization in bilayer walls on the mechanical properties of lipid tubules, and (4) study the effect of the rippling of bilayer walls on the local mechanical properties of lipid tubules.
A detailed understanding of how the mechanical properties of lipid tubules are affected by the morphology, chemical composition, polymerization, and rippling of bilayer walls will provide an insight into the mechanism of mechanical reinforcement of lipid tubules at the molecular level for future bio- and nanotechnology. The students, who are involved in this proposed research, will be trained in the interdisciplinary field of biomolecular materials, nanomechanics, chemistry, and nanotechnology, and experience the value of combining experimental and simulation approaches to solve the mechanical problems of biomolecular materials at the nanometer scale. The outreach activities will promote the participation of underrepresented groups and high school seniors, which will benefit the broad community.
