Figure 4.

Self-assembly process in mixtures of lipids and detergents. (A) Membrane solubilization and reconstitution by addition (or removal) of detergents. (B) Characteristic molecular geometries’ and aggregates’ structures of (pure) lipids and detergents. (C–F) Main stages of the detergent removal method. Initially, the lipid hydration with a detergent solution allows for the formation of mixed (detergent/lipids) micelles (C). The successive dilution of mixed micellar solution with aqueous buffer favors an increase of the mixed micelles’ size (and polydispersity) (D), followed by a transition to the vesicles’ structures (E). The formation process is completed by a complementary method for the removal of the residual detergent inside the liposomal nanoformulation (F).