TY - JOUR
T1 - A New Route to Liposil Formation by an Interfacial Sol-Gel Process Confined by Lipid Bilayer
AU - Shen, Shukun
AU - Yang, Lu
AU - Lu, Yaxing
AU - Chen, Jian Gang
AU - Song, Shaofei
AU - Hu, Daodao
AU - Parikh, Atul
PY - 2015/7/21
Y1 - 2015/7/21
N2 - We report a new and simple approach to prepare a class of silica-reinforced liposomes with hybrid core-shell nanostructures. The amphiphilic natural structure of lipids was exploited to sequester hydrophobic molecules, namely precursor TEOS and pyrene, in the hydrophobic midplane of liposomal bilayer assemblies in the aqueous phase. Subsequent interfacial hydrolysis of TEOS at the bilayer/water interface and ensuing condensation within the hydrophobic interstices of the lipid bilayer drives silica formation in situ, producing a novel class of silica-lipid hybrid liposils. Structural characterization by scanning- and transmission electron microscopy confirm that the liposils so generated preserve closed topologies and size-monodipersity of the parent lecithin liposomes, and DSC-TGA and XRD measurements provide evidence for the silica coating. Monitoring fluorescence measurements using embedded pyrene yield detailed information on microenvironment changes, which occur during sol-gel process and shed light on the structural evolution during silica formation. We envisage that liposils formed by this simple, new approach, exploiting the hydrophobic core of the lipid bilayer to spatially localize silica-forming precursors enables preparation of stable liposils exhibiting capacity for cargo encapsulation, bicompatibility, and fluorescence monitoring, more generally opening a window for construction of stable, functional hybrid materials.
AB - We report a new and simple approach to prepare a class of silica-reinforced liposomes with hybrid core-shell nanostructures. The amphiphilic natural structure of lipids was exploited to sequester hydrophobic molecules, namely precursor TEOS and pyrene, in the hydrophobic midplane of liposomal bilayer assemblies in the aqueous phase. Subsequent interfacial hydrolysis of TEOS at the bilayer/water interface and ensuing condensation within the hydrophobic interstices of the lipid bilayer drives silica formation in situ, producing a novel class of silica-lipid hybrid liposils. Structural characterization by scanning- and transmission electron microscopy confirm that the liposils so generated preserve closed topologies and size-monodipersity of the parent lecithin liposomes, and DSC-TGA and XRD measurements provide evidence for the silica coating. Monitoring fluorescence measurements using embedded pyrene yield detailed information on microenvironment changes, which occur during sol-gel process and shed light on the structural evolution during silica formation. We envisage that liposils formed by this simple, new approach, exploiting the hydrophobic core of the lipid bilayer to spatially localize silica-forming precursors enables preparation of stable liposils exhibiting capacity for cargo encapsulation, bicompatibility, and fluorescence monitoring, more generally opening a window for construction of stable, functional hybrid materials.
KW - fluorescent probe
KW - interfacial sol-gel process
KW - lipid bilayers
KW - liposomes and vesicles
KW - local molecular microenvironment
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U2 - 10.1021/acsami.5b01386
DO - 10.1021/acsami.5b01386
M3 - Article
C2 - 26197062
AN - SCOPUS:84947740793
VL - 7
SP - 25039
EP - 25044
JO - ACS applied materials & interfaces
JF - ACS applied materials & interfaces
SN - 1944-8244
IS - 45
ER -