Structure of spin-coated lipid films and domain formation in supported membranes formed by hydration.
An atomic force and fluorescence microscopy investigation of the structure of spin-coated lipid films is presented. In the surface of the dry film, lipids are found to orient in a conformation where acyl chains are pointing outward while laterally the individual layers of the multilamellar film exhibit a dewetting pattern similar to what is found in polymer thin films. Hydration of the film in liquid water promotes detachment of bilayers from the surface while a single membrane remains on the mica substrate. This supported membrane is highly uniform and defect-free as compared to supported membranes prepared by conventional methods. It is further demonstrated that supported membranes of binary lipid mixtures prepared by this method exhibit gel-fluid domain coexistence in accordance with expectations from the phase diagrams.
Simonsen
Adam Cohen
AC
MEMPHYS Center for Biomembrane Physics, Physics Department, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark.
Bagatolli
Luis A
LA
D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
D008055:Lipids; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D014867:Water