RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Transport of a graphene nanosheet sandwiched inside cell membranes
JF Science Advances
JO Sci Adv
FD American Association for the Advancement of Science
SP eaaw3192
DO 10.1126/sciadv.aaw3192
VO 5
IS 6
A1 Chen, Pengyu
A1 Yue, Hua
A1 Zhai, Xiaobo
A1 Huang, Zihan
A1 Ma, Guang-Hui
A1 Wei, Wei
A1 Yan, Li-Tang
YR 2019
UL http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/6/eaaw3192.abstract
AB The transport of nanoparticles at bio-nano interfaces is essential for many cellular responses and biomedical applications. How two-dimensional nanomaterials, such as graphene and transition-metal dichalcogenides, diffuse along the cell membrane is, however, unknown, posing an urgent and important issue to promote their applications in the biomedical area. Here, we show that the transport of graphene oxides (GOs) sandwiched inside cell membranes varies from Brownian to Lévy and even directional dynamics. Specifically, experiments evidence sandwiched graphene–cell membrane superstructures in different cells. Combined simulations and analysis identify a sandwiched GO–induced pore in cell membrane leaflets, spanning unstable, metastable, and stable states. An analytical model that rationalizes the regimes of these membrane-pore states fits simulations quantitatively, resulting in a mechanistic interpretation of the emergence of Lévy and directional dynamics. We finally demonstrate the applicability of sandwiched GOs in enhanced efficiency of membrane-specific drug delivery. Our findings inform approaches to programming intramembrane transport of two-dimensional nanomaterials toward advantageous biomedical applications.