Ethanol induces the formation of water-permeable defects in model bilayers of skin lipids.

We show that ethanol can induce the formation of water-permeable defects in model membranes of skin, providing a fresh perspective on ethanol as a membrane modulator. We rationalise our findings in terms of the chemical nature of ethanol, i.e., a combination of its hydrogen bonding propensity and amphiphilic character.

Probing diameter-selective solubilisation of carbon nanotubes by reversible cyclic peptides using molecular dynamics simulations.

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to explore the encapsulation behaviour of reversible cyclic peptides when adsorbed onto single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in aqueous solution. Our findings suggest that CNT encapsulation via cyclisation of a single peptide chain is relatively less likely, compared with encapsulation via two-chain complexes. These two-chain complexes comprise pairings of the motifs identified for single-chain adsorption. Our simulation data are compared with existing experimental findings [A. Ortiz-Acevedo et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2005, 127, 9512], for relevant CNT diameters, and are found to be consistent with the experimental results. Our data help to explain the limited diameter selectivity reported by Ortiz-Acevedo et al. These findings should help in the optimisation and future design of peptides capable of enhanced selectivity for specific CNT diameters.