We quantitatively study the time-evolution of the self assembly from micelles of C12-β12 (N-α-lauryl-lysyl-aminolauryl-lysyl-amide) to closed nanotubes, passing through several types of intermediates. The process consists of the evolution of elongated fibrils into twisted ribbons, and later, into coiled helical ribbons.
Using the framework of “incompatible elasticity,” we model the self-assembled ribbon as a thin strip with a saddle-like intrinsic curvature. We provide quantitative predictions for the twisted-to-helical transition in this system, based on the experimental study of natural and synthetic macroscopic ribbons.
We find a good agreement between the theoretical predictions and the experimental measurements and suggest that similar modeling could be used for other chemical systems. In particular, it could be used for the engineering of synthetic self-shaping nanodevices.
