Observation of inhomogeneity in the lipid composition of individual nanoscale liposomes

TY - JOUR

T1 - Observation of inhomogeneity in the lipid composition of individual nanoscale liposomes

AU - Larsen, Jannik

AU - Hatzakis, Nikos

AU - Stamou, Dimitrios

PY - 2011/7/20

Y1 - 2011/7/20

N2 - Liposomes, or vesicles, have been studied extensively both as models of biological membranes and as drug delivery vehicles. Typically it is assumed that all liposomes within the same preparation are identical. Here by employing pairs of fluorescently labeled lipids we demonstrated an up to 10-fold variation in the relative lipid composition of individual liposomes with diameters between 50 nm and 15 µm. Since the physicochemical properties of liposomes are directly linked to their composition, a direct consequence of compositional inhomogeneities is a polydispersity in the properties of the individual liposomes in an ensemble.

AB - Liposomes, or vesicles, have been studied extensively both as models of biological membranes and as drug delivery vehicles. Typically it is assumed that all liposomes within the same preparation are identical. Here by employing pairs of fluorescently labeled lipids we demonstrated an up to 10-fold variation in the relative lipid composition of individual liposomes with diameters between 50 nm and 15 µm. Since the physicochemical properties of liposomes are directly linked to their composition, a direct consequence of compositional inhomogeneities is a polydispersity in the properties of the individual liposomes in an ensemble.

U2 - 10.1021/ja203984j

DO - 10.1021/ja203984j

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 21688773

SN - 0002-7863

VL - 133

SP - 10685

EP - 10687

JO - Journal of the American Chemical Society

JF - Journal of the American Chemical Society

IS - 28

ER -