Lipid-phase-modulated interactions of gold nanoparticles with supported vesicular and planar membranes

Laure Bar, Marta Lavrič, Miha Škarabot, and George Cordoyiannis (F5), in collaboration with Maja Caf and Slavko Kralj (K8, Jožef Stefan Institute), Aleš Iglič (University of Ljubljana), Patricia Losada-Pérez (Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium), and Raj Kumar Sadhu (Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India), have published an article entitled “Lipid-phase-modulated interactions of gold nanoparticles with supported vesicular and planar membranes” in Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces. This article provides new insights into the impact of lipid phase on interactions between lipid membranes and nanoparticles. Using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, complemented by atomic force microscopy and simulations, it demonstrates that vesicle rupture – induced by nanoparticles – is enhanced in rigid membranes (gel-ordered or ripple phase) compared to fluid (liquid-disordered phase) membranes. Importantly, the effect of lipid phase is decoupled from other physicochemical parameters, such as the lipid acyl chain length and the presence of charge in either the membrane or the nanoparticles. These findings establish lipid phase as a key determinant of nanoparticle-membrane interactions and advance fundamental understanding. This insight is essential, as dynamic changes in bilayer rigidity, composition, and surface charge regulate these interactions.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2026.115665