Figure 1: Stylized view of the lipid-like and protein-like self-assembly.
From: Giant capsids from lattice self-assembly of cyclodextrin complexes
(a) Lipid molecules form lamellar, tubular and vesicular structures, the flexibility and fluidity of which are emphasized in the illustration. (b) Proteins form lamellar, helical tubular and regular icosahedral structures with rigidity and crystallinity (hexagonal lattice in this case). (c) SDS@2β-CD assembles, in a protein-mimetic way, into lamellar, helical tubular and rhombic dodecahedral structures with inherent rigidity and in-plane, rhombic crystalline nature. In the molecular view, SDS is a anionic surfactant with a hydrocarbon tail (yellow) and a -(SO4)− headgroup (blue and red), while β-CD is a ring of hepta-saccharides (green C and red O atoms).
