Polyhedral vesicles

Abstract

Polyhedral vesicles with a large bending modulus of the membrane such as the gel phase lipid membrane were studied using a Brownian dynamics simulation. The vesicles exhibit various polyhedral morphologies such as tetrahedron and cube shapes. We clarified two types of line defects on the edges of the polyhedrons: cracks of both monolayers at the spontaneous curvature of monolayer $C_{\text{0}}<0$, and a crack of the inner monolayer at $C_{\text{0}}\ge 0$. Around the latter defect, the inner monolayer curves positively. Our results suggested that the polyhedral morphology is controlled by $C_{\text{0}}$.

4 pages, 5 figures

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