Interactions between membranes and nano-ions: Nanostructural insights from SANS

Nano-ions such as polyoxometalates (POMs), boron clusters and hydrophobic ions (Fig.2), are nanometric ionic molecules with unique architecture and super-chaotropic properties, that is, they can disrupt hydrogen bonding, penetrate hydrophobic cavities, and bind to non-ionic sites or molecules. This implies that they could potentially mediate effective structural disruption in cell membranes. However, little is known how the nano-ions would affect the mechanism of membrane fusion, fundamentally relevant to nanotoxicity and specifically to their conjectured use in personal care products and as future delivery vectors. Here, we propose a small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) study to examine the structural changes in liposomes mediated by nano-ions, as a function of lipid composition, type of nano-ions, concentrations, and temperature.