ADHESION-INDUCED REORGANIZATION OF CHARGED FLUID MEMBRANES

Adhesion between simple single-component membranes is both theoretical ly and experimentally well understood. We report on a combined theoret ical and experimental study of the adhesion between well-characterized multicomponent membranes. In particular, we examined the statics and dynamics of the adhesion between a cationic vesicle and an anionic sup ported membrane on a substrate with a pH adjustable surface charge. Th rough interferometric methods, we measured the adhesion-induced membra ne tension. We find a dramatic breakdown of the classical Young-Dupre law at higher surface charge densities. The failure of the Young-Dupre law is associated with the formation of blisters. These results are i n agreement with a thermodynamic analysis of anion-cation adhesion whi ch predicts that adhesion-induced phase separation leads to reorganiza tion of the adhesion disk and to a failure of the Young-Dupre law. Our study demonstrates that adhesion of multicomponent membranes is funda mentally different from that of single-component membranes. [S1063-651 X(48)15610-6].