A simple coassembly system for facile preparation of surface-modified organic nanotubes: folate-functionalized organic nanotubes for potential biological applications

Organic nanotubes (ONTs) with chemical functionalization on the inner and outer surfaces can be used to bind and transport biomacromolecular guests, such as drugs, proteins, and DNAs. In an attempt to provide alternative carriers for these assemblies, we provide a simple procedure for the preparation of folate-modified ONTs by the coassembly of the lipid mixture of glycylglycylglycine (TGG) and folate glycylglycylglycine (TGGF). The ONTs obtained exhibited outer diameters of 50 to 80 nm, inner diameters of 20 to 50 nm and lengths of 200 nm to 5 μm. The folate groups have been confirmed to be located on the surface of the ONTs, which make it possible for these ONTs to bind and encapsulate organic and biomolecules as carriers.