Artificial Phospholipids and Their Vesicles

Abstract

Phospholipids are at the heart and origin of life on this planet. The possibilities in terms of phospholipid self-assembly and biological functions seem limitless. Nonetheless, nature exploits only a small fraction of the available chemical space of phospholipids. Using chemical synthesis, artificial phospholipid structures become accessible, and the study of their biophysics may reveal unprecedented properties. In this article, the recent advances by our work group in the field of chemical lipidology are summarized. The family of diamidophospholipids is discussed in detail from monolayer characterization to the formation of faceted vesicles, culminating in the template-free self-assembly of phospholipid cubes and the possible applications of vesicle origami in modern personalized medicine.