Two-Dimensional Ordered Arrays of Aligned Lipid Tubules on Substrates with Microfluidic Networks

Abstract

Microfluidic networks is a powerful tool for aligning one-dimensional materials over a large area on solid substrates. Here we show that lipid nano- and microtubules can be assembled into two-dimensional (2-D) parallel arrays with controlled separations by combining fluidic alignment with dewetting, which occurs within microchannels. We also demonstrate that lipid tubules can be bent into a well-defined shape at the entrance of the channels by the capillary force. Atomic force microscopy is used to study the structure and stability of the aligned lipid tubules on substrates. The deposition experiments with silica colloidal particles show that the 2-D parallel-aligned tubules can be used as a template to synthesize silica films with controlled morphologies and patterns on substrates in a single-step process.

Self‐assembled organic nanotubes: Toward attoliter chemistry

“…Potential medical and biological applications using self-assembled LNTs and polymer nanotubes are gradually in progress, including controlled drug release, 82 gene delivery, 83 cell adhesion, 84 antimicrobial activity, 85 helical crystallization of proteins, 86 and biomolecule sensing. 87 The alignment and ordered arrays of the solid LNTs on a substrate [88][89][90] are also important issues for their practical use. At the same time, unveiling the mechanical properties of a single piece of LNT by us and other research groups is also developing and gaining a lot of interest.…”

Electric moulding of dispersed lipid nanotubes into a nanofluidic device

“…An individual LNT has thus been found to be useful as a nanoreactor and/or nano-assay device [23][24][25][26][27][28]. Correspondingly, a variety of techniques has been developed for manipulating and integrating LNTs into ordered nanocapillary arrays [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]. * frusawa.hiroshi@kochi-tech.ac.jp Despite the numerous attempts, there remain unresolved issues in creating nanofluidic devices of LNT arrays [21,[34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41].…”

Polymorphic transformation towards formation of nanotubes by self-assembly of an achiral molecule

“…[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] As one case in point, the lipid nanotubes (formed in the dispersing medium by self-assembly of different lipids, such as glycolipids, phospholipids, and peptide lipids) have been widely studied as a result of their high aspect ratio and hollow cylindrical morphology. 18,25,26 The unique properties provide lipid nanotubes with potential in encapsulation and release, 27,28 template synthesis, [29][30][31] catalysis, 32,33 and some specific usages in micro fluidic networks, 34 in molecular recognition devices, 35 and as liquid-crystalline biomaterials. 18,25,26 The unique properties provide lipid nanotubes with potential in encapsulation and release, 27,28 template synthesis, [29][30][31] catalysis, 32,33 and some specific usages in micro fluidic networks, 34 in molecular recognition devices, 35 and as liquid-crystalline biomaterials.…”