Three Dimensional
Nano “Langmuir Trough” for Lipid Studies
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Abstract
A three-dimensional-phospholipid
monolayer with tunable molecular structure was created on the surface
of oil nanodroplets from a mixture of phospholipids, oil, and water.
This simple nanoemulsion preparation technique generates an in situ
prepared membrane model system with controllable molecular surface
properties that resembles a lipid droplet. The molecular interfacial
structure of such a nanoscopic system composed of hexadecane, 1,2-dihexadecanoyl-<i>sn</i>-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), and water was determined
using vibrational sum frequency scattering and second harmonic scattering
techniques. The droplet surface structure of DPPC can be tuned from
a tightly packed liquid condensed phase like monolayer to a more dilute
one that resembles the liquid condensed/liquid expanded coexistence
phase by varying the DPPC/oil/water ratio. The tunability of the chemical
structure, the high surface-to-volume ratio, and the small sample
volume make this system an ideal model membrane for biochemical research