Spontaneous Formation of Stable Vesicles and Vesicle Gels in Polar Organic Solvents

The self-assembly of lipids into nanoscale vesicles (liposomes) is routinely accomplished in water. However, reports of similar vesicles in polar organic solvents like glycerol, formamide, and ethylene glycol (EG) are scarce. Here, we demonstrate the formation of nanoscale vesicles in glycerol, formamide, and EG using the common phospholipid lecithin (derived from soy). The samples we study are simple binary mixtures of lecithin and the solvent, with no additional cosurfactants or salt. Lecithin dissolves readily in the solvents and spontaneously gives rise to viscous fluids at low lipid concentrations (similar to 2-4%), with structures similar to 200 nm detected by dynamic light scattering. At higher concentrations (>10%), lecithin forms clear gels that are strongly birefringent at rest. Dynamic rheology confirms the elastic response of gels, with their elastic modulus being similar to 20 Pa at similar to 10% lipid. Images from cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) indicate that concentrated samples are vesicle gels, where multilamellar vesicles (MLVs, also called onions), with diameters between 50 and 600 nm, are close-packed across the sample volume. This structure can explain both the elastic rheology as well as the static birefringence of the samples. The discovery of vesicles and vesicle gels in polar solvents widens the scope of systems that can be created by self-assembly. Interestingly, it is much easier to form vesicles in polar solvents than in water, and the former are stable indefinitely, whereas the latter tend to aggregate or coalesce over time. The stability is attributed to refractive index-matching between lipid bilayers and the solvents, i.e., these vesicles are relatively invisible and thus experience only weak attractions. The ability to use lipids (which are green or eco-friendly molecules derived from renewable natural sources) to thicken and form gels in polar solvents could also prove useful in a variety of areas, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and lubricants.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates the formation of nanoscale vesicles and vesicle gels in glycerol, formamide, and ethylene glycol using lecithin. Vesicles in polar solvents are easier to form and more stable than those in water, attributed to refractive index-matching between lipid bilayers and solvents. The ability to use lipids in polar solvents could have wide-ranging applications, such as in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and lubricants.