https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2004-10003-7
Finite-size effects do not reduce the repeat spacing of phospholipid multibilayer stacks on a rigid substrate
1
Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences, National Research Council, K0J 1J0, Chalk River, Ontario, Canada
2
Raman Research Institute, 560 080, Bangalore, India
* e-mail: Thad.Harroun@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
** e-mail: John.Katsaras@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Finite-size effects in stacks of phospholipid bilayers, in the fluid phase, are investigated using samples oriented on silicon substrates. Recently in this journal, such effects have been suggested as the probable cause of reduced lamellar repeat spacings in very thin samples made up of a few (<10) bilayers. Our systematic studies on samples of different thicknesses do not support this conclusion. At full hydration all samples are found to have the same repeat spacing, irrespective of their thickness. At lower hydrations, on the other hand, very thin samples, consisting of only a few bilayers, have a slightly larger spacing.
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, and Springer-Verlag, 2004