Basic kinetics of binding and incorporation with supramolecular aggregates.

Supramolecular particles of spherical shape (such as micelles, vesicles, etc.) are imagined to interact with small (bio)molecules so that either binding or incorporation occurs. This is generally described as an association process whose rate is determined by appropriate diffusion and actual transformation steps. Along these lines pertinent expressions for the phenomenological rate constants are given. In addition, an upper bound for the rate of incorporation has been derived. The results are discussed with respect to their usefulness in practice.