Langmuir Film Formation on Deep Eutectic Solvents

Abstract

Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) are molecular mixtures similar to ionic liquids, having melting points below room temperature. However instead of being a salt, the mixture contains two molecules with strong H-bonding that hinder formation of an ordered crystalline network. DES share many features of ionic liquids (low vapour pressure, adjustable polarity, etc) which make them interesting as green solvents while being far less toxic than typical ionic liquids. There is also some evidence that DES may form within the crowded environment in cells and could assist in solubilizing biological species in an intermediate environment between that of the hydrophobic phospholipids and highly polar water rich regions. Here we wish therefore to study the interaction of phospholipids, common components of cell membranes, and synthetic lipids relevant to emulsification in Langmuir films at the air-DES interface to determine how they interact with DES and whether comparable interfacial structures are found to those formed on water