Figure 38.

Hydrophobic nanoparticles interacting with membranes. (a) Simulation snapshot of a single nanoparticle radius $a=6\mathrm{n}\mathrm{m}$ incorporated in a lipid membrane for lipid area density ${\rho }_{\mathrm{L}\mathrm{N}\mathrm{P}\mathrm{A}}^{\mathrm{B}\mathrm{R}}=1.5$. ((b), (c)) Calculated potential of mean force V_PMF profiles as a third nanoparticle approaches a fixed nanoparticle cluster formed by two identical nanoparticles with radius $a=5\mathrm{n}\mathrm{m}$ at (b) high membrane tension (lipid area density ${\rho }_{\mathrm{L}\mathrm{N}\mathrm{P}\mathrm{A}}^{\mathrm{B}\mathrm{R}}=1.2$) and at (c) low membrane tension (lipid area density ${\rho }_{\mathrm{L}\mathrm{N}\mathrm{P}\mathrm{A}}^{\mathrm{B}\mathrm{R}}=1.5$). Adapted with permission from [145]. Copyright (2014) the American Physical Society.