Stable and robust polymer nanotubes stretched from polymersomes
Date: 20.2.2006
Scientists from National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg (USA) created long polymer nanotubes by directly pulling on the membrane of polymersomes using either optical tweezers or a micropipette.
The polymersomes are composed of amphiphilic diblock copolymers, and the nanotubes formed have an aqueous core connected to the aqueous interior of the polymersome. The pulled nanotubes were stabilized by subsequent chemical cross-linking. The cross-linked nanotubes are extremely robust and can be moved to another medium for use elsewhere.
Scientists demonstrated the ability to form networks of polymer nanotubes and polymersomes by optical manipulation. The aqueous core of the polymer nanotubes together with their robust character makes them interesting candidates for nanofluidics and other applications in biotechnology.
"Source":[ http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/103/5/1173].
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