Reversible stepwise formation of mono- and bilayers of a fluorocarbon/hydrocarbon diblock on top of a phospholipid Langmuir monolayer. A case of vertical phase separation
Mp. Krafft et al., Reversible stepwise formation of mono- and bilayers of a fluorocarbon/hydrocarbon diblock on top of a phospholipid Langmuir monolayer. A case of vertical phase separation, LANGMUIR, 17(21), 2001, pp. 6577-6584
Compression of mixed Langmuir monolayers made from combinations of dipalmit
oyl phosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE) and the semi-fluorinated alkane C8F17C1
6H33 (F8H16) results in expulsion of the diblock molecule at high pressure.
Depending on the DPPE/F8H16 molar ratio, either a monolayer or a bilayer o
f F8H16 is formed on top of a DPPE-only monolayer. The structure of the hyd
rocarbon and fluorocarbon layers that constitute the resulting vertically s
eparated bi- or trilayer was determined using grazing incidence X-ray diffr
action. The phenomenon is reversible and represents a novel case of vertica
l, pressure-induced phase separation.