Chapter 15 - Complex nanotube-liposome networks

Abstract

Surfactant nanotube-vesicle networks (NVN) belong to the smallest artificial devices known to date for performing controlled chemical operations with enzymes. Newly established means for transport of chemical reactants between containers, as well as advancements in initiation and control of chemical reactions in such systems have opened pathways to new devices with a resolution down to the single-molecule level. Here, we summarize the fabrication and functionalization of complex nanotube-liposome networks for such devices, and discuss related aspects of their application for studying chemical kinetics and materials transport phenomena in ultrasmall-scale biomimetic environments.