Autopoietic Self-Reproduction of Fatty Acid Vesicles

摘要: Conditions are described under which vesicles formed by caprylic acid and oleic in water able to undergo autopoietic self-reproduction-namely an increase of their population number due a reaction takes place within the spherical boundary themselves. This is achieved letting certain amount neat water-insoluble or anhydride hydrolyze at alkaline pH: initial concentration released acidcarboxylate extremely slow (several days reach conditions for spontaneous vesicle formation), but afterwards, presence brings about rapid second phase leading more being overall autocatalytic process. The catalytic power toward hydrolysis corresponding documented set independent experiments. In these experiments, was carried out pH approximately pK vesicles. process self-reproduction studied as function temperature: increasing temperature (up 70 “C), exponential time progress formation tends become steeper while long significantly shortened. characterized electron microscopy determining internal volume. question whether what extent form classic chemical equilibrium system-in namely free surfactant with aggregates-is also investigated.