Configurations of lipids and NP ligands for different MUS ligand distributions.

The top row presents representative simulation snapshots of the NP and lipid head groups for four MUS distributions; lipid tail groups, water molecules, and ions are not shown. The middle row presents the time-averaged number density of all lipid atoms. The bottom row presents the time-averaged number density of all ligand atoms, including both MUS and OT ligands. Due to the cylindrical symmetry of the system, number densities are plotted as a function of the distance in the x-y plane from the center of the NP gold core (radial distance) and the distance along the z-axis from the bilayer midplane (z-distance). Positive and negative values of the radial distance are equivalent and negative values are included only as a visual aid.