Computer simulation of mixed lipid/non-ionic surfactant membranes

Monte Carlo simulations based on simplified lipid and surfactant models hav e been performed to study the influence of electrostatic interactions on th e structure of the lipid headgroups in mixed lipid/surfactant membranes. La teral orientational order of the lipid headgroups, the formation of chain-l ike structures along the membrane plane and the tendency of the headgroups to tilt down and to lie in the membrane plane appear dependent on the conte nt of surfactant in the mixed membrane and show accordance with experimenta l results. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.