Monitoring the formation of a colloidal lipid gel at the nanoscale: vesicle aggregation driven by a temperature-induced mechanism.

Colloidal gels made of lipid vesicles at highly diluted conditions have been recently described. The structure and composition of this type of material could be especially relevant for studies that combine model lipid membranes with proteins, peptides, or enzymes to replicate biological conditions. Details about the nanoscale events that occur during the formation of such gels would motivate their future application.

Preparation and characterization of a supramolecular hydrogel made of phospholipids and oleic acid with a high water content.

A hydrogel formed with phospholipids and fatty acids would be of great interest in the medical field due to the biological relevance that these molecules have in living organisms. However, the tendency of phospholipid mixtures to form vesicular or micellar aggregates at high water content hinders the formation of this type of hydrogel. In this study, a highly hydrated hydrogel (95% water) was formed with hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine and oleic acid.