Shape transformations of bilayer vesicles from amphiphilic block copolymers: a dissipative particle dynamics simulation study

The understanding of shape transformations and dynamic behaviors of membrane vesicles is of fundamental importance in biological and physical sciences. In this study, dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations are employed to study the shape transformations of bilayer vesicles formed from amphiphilic diblock copolymers. A plethora of complex vesicle shapes, including some that have not been reported in previous simulation studies on membrane vesicles such as boomerang shapes and a couple of different starfish-shaped vesicles, are obtained in the simulations. These simulated polymer vesicles agree with theoretically derived vesicle shapes based on the bilayer couple model.