CONFORMATIONS OF A TETHERED MEMBRANE - CRUMPLING IN GRAPHITIC OXIDE

We have used freeze-fracture electron microscopy and static light scat tering to study the conformations of two-dimensional sheets of graphit ic oxide suspended in aqueous solution. Electron micrographs show the graphite sheets are flat with some curling at the edges. Scattering ex periments yield a fractal dimension of 2.15 (+/-0.06). Lowering the so lvent polarity with acetone enhances the intramembrane affinity and le ads to a compact structure. Under no conditions did we find a crumpled phase, which had been hypothesized as possible for 2D tethered membra nes.