On the interaction between carbon nanomaterials and lipid biomembranes

The mechanism of interaction between lipid bilayers as a model of cell membranes and carbon nanomaterials was studied by all-atoms molecular dynamics simulations. The effect of the type of nanoparticles was studied by considering graphene, graphene nanoribbons, graphene oxide, nanocones, fullerenes and nanotubes. The nature of membrane composition on the interactions was analysed by considering 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) + cholesterol biomembranes with different ratios. The adsorption of nanomaterials, penetration and disruption or damage of the lipid bilayers was reported providing the effects of particles shapes, geometries and membrane composition on the carbon nanoparticles – lipid membranes interactions, thus showing the molecular basis of cell membranes damage by exposition to carbon nanomaterials. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.