Recurrent Dynamics of Rupture Transitions of Single Giant Vesicles at Solid Surfaces

Single giant vesicles (GVs) rupture spontaneously from their salt-laden suspension onto solid surfaces. At hydrophilic surfaces, they rupture via a recurrent burst-heal dynamics: during burst, single pores nucleate at the contact boundary of the adhering vesicles facilitating asymmetric spreading and producing a “heart” shaped membrane patch. During the healing phase, the competing pore closure produces a daughter vesicle. At hydrophobic surfaces, by contrast, the GVs rupture via a distinctly different, yet recurrent, bouncing ball rhythm: Rendered tense by the substrate interactions, GVs porate and spread monomolecular layer on the hydrophobic surface in a symmetric manner. Here too, the competition from pore closure produces a daughter vesicle, which re-engages with the substrate. In both cases, the pattern of burst-reseal events repeats multiple times splashing and spreading the vesicular fragments as bilayer patches at the solid surface in a pulsatory manner. These remarkable recurrent dynamics arise not because of the elastic properties of the solid surface but because the competition between membrane spreading and pore healing, prompted by the surface-energy dependent adhesion, determine the course of the topological transition.