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The theory of metal electronucleation applied to the study of fundamental properties of liposomes

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Abstract

This short review describes how the theory of electrochemical metal nucleation considering non-stationary effects due to the activation of latent nucleation sites has been successfully translated and applied to describe phenomena observed on lipid membranes. This rather unexpected connection is merely formal, but has resulted in a completely new approach in liposome research. It has been proposed that hydrophobic active sites spontaneously and constantly appear and disappear on lipid membranes. These sites control the affinity of liposomes for hydrophobic surfaces and determine the permeability of the lipid membrane to small hydrophilic molecules. Thus, the kinetic models for liposome adhesion on hydrophobic substrates and for the spontaneous leakage of liposomal content are identical to that of non-stationary nucleation mentioned above. Therefore, the broad scope of the available work on metal nucleation has facilitated the interpretation of the data obtained in liposome research. Future applications of the nucleation model in the realm of liposomes are also discussed.

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Acknowledgments

The author thanks Prof. Katarina Edwards, Department of Chemistry-BMC, Uppsala University for fruitful and interesting discussions on the subject and for providing the resources and facilities for the completion of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry-BMC, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Box 579, 75123, Uppsala, Sweden

    Víctor Agmo Hernández

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  1. Víctor Agmo Hernández
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Correspondence to Víctor Agmo Hernández.

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The author dedicates this contribution to Prof. Alexander Milchev on his 70th birthday. I had the honor of meeting Prof. Milchev in Sofia in 2008, and his kindness and wisdom had a profound impact on me. His encouraging words were, and still are, a great source of inspiration.

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Agmo Hernández, V. The theory of metal electronucleation applied to the study of fundamental properties of liposomes. J Solid State Electrochem 17, 299–305 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-012-1874-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-012-1874-5

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