Chiral self-assembly of nanotubules and ribbons from phospholipid mixtures

Nanoscale structures have been found to self-assemble in a binary mixture of a long-chain, diacetylenic phospholipid and a short chain, saturated lipid. We observe unusual chiral-optical signatures of nanotubule, twisted ribbon, and microtubule morphologies that can be used to monitor their temporal and thermal stability. Circular dichroism results suggest that chiral packing of the lipids drives formation of these aggregates. The ease of formation, stability, and robust behavior of these lipid cylinders suggest that they have potential use in applications requiring high aspect ratio nanomaterials.