Diacetylenic lipid tubules: experimental evidence for a chiral molecular architecture.

Schnur, J M; Ratna, B R; Selinger, J V; Singh, A; Jyothi, G; Easwaran, K R · Science · 1994

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Molecular self-assembly is of key importance for the rational design of advanced materials. To investigate the causal relation between molecular structure and the consequent self-assembled microstructure, self-assembled tubules of diacetylenic lipids were studied. Circular-dichroism studies give experimental evidence that the formation of tubules is driven by chiral molecular packing, in agreement with recent theories of tubules. On the basis of these results, a molecular mechanism for the formation of tubules is proposed.