20.500.12556/RUL-182773 How lipids suppress cavitation in biological fluids Hypothesis: Cavitation in water under tension is often initiated at nanoscale hydrophobic surface defects that stabilize preexisting nanobubbles. We hypothesize that amphiphilic molecules, such as polar lipids, can adsorb onto these defects and suppress cavitation by removing nanobubble nucleation sites. Simulations: To test this mechanism, we performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations in combination with classical nucleation theory to model lipid bilayers and monolayer coatings at hydrophobic surfaces containing nanoscale pits and to investigate their response to applied negative pressures. Findings: We find that lipids readily adsorb onto hydrophobic surfaces, conform to nanoscale features, and eliminate bubble-hosting cavities. This passivation shifts the cavitation-limiting step from nanobubble expansion at defects to rupture of lipid bilayers, which exhibit much higher cavitation resistance. These results provide a molecular basis for how amphiphilic additives enhance the stability of aqueous liquids against cavitation, even in the presence of unavoidable surface imperfections. This mechanism also offers a physically grounded explanation for how vascular plants sustain sap transport under substantial negative pressures despite structural heterogeneities in their water-conducting vessels. lipid monolayer lipid bilayer bubbles cavitation molecular dynamics simulation fluidi kavitacija hidrodinamika true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2026-05-22 10:56:50 2026-05-22 10:56:51 2026-05-23 04:41:59 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2026 0 0 9 str. pt. 1, art. 139286 Vol. 703 Feb. 2026 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 532 1095-7103 10.1016/j.jcis.2025.139286 254592515 1-s2.0-S0021979725026785-main.pdf 1-s2.0-S0021979725026785-main.pdf 1 54EA2F5FF081ADCB39C7AA3E7A00A80C c5f2b7aabfc54125090800b018454bebc7a37f38f52f6288a209147ba41512c7 7e41f0de-55bc-11f1-b0ab-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=234305 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021979725026785 0 da3ce5b7-55bb-11f1-b0ab-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=234304 Fakulteta za matematiko in fiziko 0 0 0