Organic solvent dialysis

Researchers studying polypeptide and polypeptide hybrid systems have also processed vesicles using two solvents. This method usually involves a common organic solvent that solubilizes both blocks and an aqueous solvent that solublizes only the hydrophilic block. The two solvents can be mixed with the polypeptide or polypeptide hybrid system at the same time or added sequentially. The choice of organic solvent depends heavily upon the properties of the polypeptide material, and commonly used solvents include dimethylformamide (DMF) [46, 59], methanol (MeOH) [49], dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) [50, 72], and tetrahydrofuran (THF) [44, 55]. Vesicles are usually formed when the organic solvent is slowly replaced with an aqueous solution via dialysis or removed through evaporation however, some vesicles have been reported to be present in the organic/aqueous mixture [49]. 

Since the protein-palmitate derivative can t be dissolved in organic solvent during homogenization of lipid to form liposomal membranes, it must be inserted into intact liposomes by detergent dialysis. 

Huckins, J.N., M.W. Tubergen, J.A. Lebo, R.W. Gale, and T.R. Schwartz. 1990a. Polymeric film dialysis in organic solvent media for cleanup of organic contaminants. Jour. Assoc. Off. Anal. Chem. 73 290-293. 

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