Lipid monolayers at the air-water interface: A tool for understanding electrostatic interactions and rheology in bio-membranes

Monomolecular films of surfactants at the air-water interface are easy to prepare and to handle, and enable a broad variety of techniques to be used. As in other model-systems mimicking membranes, two-phases are observed in several experimental conditions. This Chapter compares the results found using this model membrane with other models and describes some of the techniques applicable to lipid monolayers. The factors underlying their texture when two phases coexist are summarized, with special attention to line tension, an important parameter in both nucleation and growth, as well as the final domain shape. Finally, the effects of the presence of two-phases on the observed mechanical properties of the film (elastic compressibility and shear viscosity) are detailed.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Wilke, Natalia
Format:	bookPart biblioteca
Language:	eng
Published:	Elsevier 2014
Subjects:	Monomolecular films, Lipid, Bio-membranes, Air-water interface, Lipid monolayers, Membrane Electrostatics, Membrane Rheology,
Online Access:	http://hdl.handle.net/11086/29976
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