Spontaneous Vesicle Formation in a Deep Eutectic Solvent

Solvent penetration experiments and small-angle X-ray scattering reveal that phospholipids dissolved in a deep eutectic solvent (DES) spontaneously self-assemble into vesicles above the lipid chain melting temperature. This means DESs are one of the few nonaqueous solvents that mediate amphiphile self-assembly, joining a select set of H-bonding molecular solvents and ionic liquids.Australian Research Counci

Effect of Protic Ionic Liquid Nanostructure on Phospholipid Vesicle Formation

The formation of bilayer-based lyotropic liquid crystals and vesicle dispersions by phospholipids in a range of protic ionic liquids has been investigated by polarizing optical microscopy using isothermal penetration scans, differential scanning calorimetry, and small angle X-ray and neutron scattering. The stability and structure of both lamellar phases and vesicle dispersions is found to depend primarily on the underlying amphiphilic nanostructure of the ionic liquid itself. This finding has significant implica-tions for the use of ionic liquids in soft and biological materials and for biopreservation, and demon-strates how vesicle structure and properties can be controlled through selection of cation and anion. For a given ionic liquid, systematic trends in bilayer thickness, chain-melting temperature and enthalpy in-crease with phospholipid acyl chain length, paralleling behaviour in aqueous systems.Australian Research Council, ANSTO, AINS

Compartmentalisation and Membrane Activity in Protic Ionic Liquids and Deep Eutectic Solvents

Ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents are areas of great interest to non-aqueous reaction systems. They can be fine-tuned for an array of properties and are often less harmful than other, organic, solvents. This research focused specifically on self-assembly in ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents with an eye to understand self-assembly processes. Not only does this work offer industrial applications, for isolated reaction systems and batteries, it also provides an interesting insight into the possibility of non-aqueous life-forms. If compartmentalisation can occur without water, then perhaps so too can the other requirements of life. Ionic liquid nanostructure significantly affected phospholipid self-assembly with more nanostructure resulting in more curved micellar phases, rather than the lamellar phases observed in water and less structured ILs. This held true for both zwitterionic lipids and ionic surfactants, demonstrated by microscopy, small angle neutron and x-ray scattering. Phospholipids formed swellable lamellar phases in all fourteen of the deep eutectic solvents tested. Examination of lipid transition temperatures by polarising optical microscopy demonstrated that the components of the solvent could influence lipid behaviour and stability, solvents with long alkyl components acted as cosurfactants. Tethered lipid membranes and electrical impedance spectroscopy demonstrated that membranes could exist, and form, in a pure IL environment (ethanolammonium formate). This is the first time such a technique has been used to study membranes in an IL and offers unparalleled opportunities for further research. Furthermore, this technique was used to demonstrate the continued function of a membrane transporter, valinomycin, in ethanolammonium formate. Valinomycin continued to transport potassium with an extremely high selectivity over sodium. These results show that compartmentalisation, and even protein function, can continue even in the absence of water