Retraction: Self-assembled organic nanotubes embedding hydrophobic molecules within solid bilayer membranes

Abstract

Retraction of ‘Self-assembled organic nanotubes embedding hydrophobic molecules within solid bilayer membranes’ by Naohiro Kameta et al., Soft Matter, 2011, 7, 85–90, https://doi.org/10.1039/C0SM00375A.

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We the named authors hereby wholly retract this Soft Matter article due to the fact that the paper has incorrect inner diameter (i.d.) and thickness values of nanotubes in TEM images in Fig. 1 on the part of the first author, who is affiliated with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).

In the TEM image of Fig. 1a, the i.d. of 60 nm and the thickness of 130 nm as reported in the article are actually an i.d. of 25 nm at a darker point where the staining reagent is present (i.d. of 85 nm at a brighter point without the staining reagent) and a thickness of 100 nm, respectively.

In the TEM image of Fig. 1b, the i.d. of 60 nm and the thickness of 25 nm as reported in the article are actually an i.d. of 130 nm and a thickness of 55 nm, respectively. The scale bar 6 μm was erroneously posted by the copy/paste of the scale bar of the fluorescence microscopic image of Fig. 1d.

In the TEM image of Fig. 1c, the i.d. of 60 nm and the thickness of 40 nm are actually an i.d. of 120 nm and a thickness of 80 nm, respectively.

These errors led to a discrepancy with the description of the sizes of the inner diameter and the thickness of the nanotubes.

The authors respectfully retract this paper, because these events for Fig. 1b and c were determined to amount to scientific misconducts and the retraction of this paper was recommended by AIST. AIST verified that the first author was responsible for the misconducts and no other co-authors were engaged in them.

Signed: Naohiro Kameta, Masumi Asakawa, Mitsutoshi Masuda, Toshimi Shimizu

Date: 4th October 2024

Retraction endorsed by Maria Southall, Executive Editor, Soft Matter

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