Figure 14

Overview of the structures formed by self-assembled lipidic systems. The structures described in this mini-review are summarized along with the physical factors enabling to get from one structural category to another. p denotes the lipid packing parameter, c₀ and κ are the spontaneous curvature and the mean curvature modulus of membranes, T _c is the critical temperature of lipid phase transition, ΔΠ is the difference of osmotic pressure between the interior of vesicles and the bulk solution, and C _M stands for the local curvature of a material to associate. Each structural category is illustrated by a schematic of a typical lipidic structure: inverted hexagonal phase H _II , fluid and gel lamellar phases L _α and L _β , raft microdomains, liposomes and starfish vesicles, complexed inverted hexagonal phase , lipid vesicles on a surface, and lipid-coated carbon nanotubes.