Formation of Ag Nanostrings Induced by Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline Phospholipid Multilayer

Abstract

Morphological variation of the Ag nanoparticles embedded in a lyotropic phospholipid (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, DOPE) membrane during hydration was investigated. Hydration at 5 C resulted in transformation of the Ag nanoparticles into a bundle of Ag nanostrings as the Ag nanoparticles conformed to the H-II phase of the DOPE molecules. Above 30 C, the nanoparticles quickly coarsened into large polygonal-shaped particles since high mobility of the lipid molecules overwhelmed the tendency for the Ag nanoparticles to order. The result provided an insight into the long-term stability of nanoparticles trapped in different lipid membranes depending on the structural ordering of the molecules.