Lipid nanobubbles

Then, perfluoropropane was entrapped within lipids like micelles. In addition, the lipid nanobubbles were encapsulated within liposomes. To confirm the structure of BLs, we observed BLs with transmission electron microscope. Interestingly, BLs had nanobubbles into lipid bilayer. Therefore, we called this Bubble liposome because of this structure. This structure of BLs was different from that of conventional microbubbles and nanobubbles which had lipid monolayer. 

A recent simulation using molecular dynamics has evaluated the creation of pores in lipid bilayer membranes by inducing shock waves in a system containing an array of nanobubbles next to those membranes [100]. This model shows that the extent of damage depends on the orientation of the bubbles relative to the shock wave direction as well as the distance between the bubbles. The argument may, in principle, be extrapolated to the context of cavitation-induced microbubbles. However, the authors used a simplified bubble system which did not contain any water vapour molecules, but did include specific bubble alignment to the membrane. Simulations thus point to temporary lipid bilayer disruption under such conditions. This disruption would then be recovered after the damage, which contrasts with the permanent alteration that cavitation creates in solid surfaces. 

Santo KP, Berkowitz ML (2014) Shock wave induced collapse of arrays of nanobubbles located next to a lipid membrane coarse-grained computer simulations. J Phys Chem B. doi 10.1021/jp505720d... 

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