Fabrication of Ni-decorated helical ribbon composite microstructure from self-assembled lipid tubule by electroless metallization

Lipid molecules can self-assemble into a tubular structure, which is formed by tightly wound helical ribbons. Lipid tubules are utilized as a precursor to fabricate a novel Ni-decorated helical ribbon composite microstructure in a high yield by electroless deposition. The microstructure carries Ni nanoparticles on the flat face and wires at the edge of helical ribbon, in which the average size of hanoparticles is about 40-60 nm, and the wires are of a layered structure strongly correlated with a multi-bilayer structure in the lipid membrane. Compared with the tubular precursor, the Ni-decorated composite microstructure becomes short and irregular shapes due to the breakage in the deposition, and its formation is largely bound up with the tubular helical structure and the different catalytic process. Finally, the helical composite microstructure would have a potential application in the development of electric active materials.