Eur. Phys. J. E 8, 275-282 (2002)
DOI: 10.1140/epje/i2001-10101-0

Dewetting of solid-supported multilamellar lipid layers

L. Perino-Gallice¹, G. Fragneto¹, U. Mennicke², T. Salditt² and F. Rieutord<sup>3

1</sup>  Institut Laue-Langevin, B.P. 156, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
²  Universität des Saarlandes, Postfach 15 11 50, 66041 Saarbrücken, Germany
³  CEA-Grenoble Département de Recherche Fondamentale sur la Matière Condensée, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9, France

rieutord@cea.fr

(Received 27 November 2001)

Abstract
Thin multilamellar assemblies of neutral lipid bilayers deposited on silicon substrates are shown to be unstable upon hydration. We analyze the stability of these systems taking into account a reduction of the fluctuation-related components of the bilayer interaction potential. The sizes of the patterns observed are consistent with a spinodal dewetting process.

PACS
68.08.Bc - Wetting.
87.16.Dg - Membranes, bilayers, and vesicles.


© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag 2002