selfmembrane
Selfmembrane refers to a class of lipid bilayer or polymeric structures that can autonomously assemble into closed membranes without external manipulation. The term emerged in the late 1990s in the context of synthetic biology and nanotechnology, where researchers sought scalable methods to produce vesicular membranes for drug delivery, biosensing, and artificial cells. In its most common usage, a selfmembrane is a mixture of amphiphilic molecules—such as phospholipids, block copolymers, or surfactants—that spontaneously organize into bilayer sheets due to hydrophilic–hydrophobic interactions. When these sheets encounter an aqueous environment, they fold or curve to minimize free energy, forming vesicles or micelles. The self‑assembly process can be triggered by changes in temperature, pH, ionic strength, or by the addition of co‑solvents.
Research on selfmembranes focuses on controlling size, permeability, and stability. For instance, polymer‑lipid hybrid membranes combine