High-pressure small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) study of 1,2-dielaidoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine bilayers |
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Authors: | R Winter C L Xie J Jonas P Thiyagarajan P T Wong |
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Affiliation: | Institute of Physical Chemistry, Philipps-University of Marburg, F.R.G. |
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Abstract: | Small-angle neutron scattering of the trans-unsaturated DEPC has been investigated as a function of pressure at 12, 18.6 and 35 degrees C. A pressure-induced structural phase transition from a liquid-crystalline state to a gel state is observed at the temperatures studied. The critical pressure of this transition increases with increasing temperature with a delta P/delta T value of 51 bar/C degrees. The small-angle neutron scattering results indicate that the effect of the trans double bonds in DEPC is to enhance the conformational disorder in the hydrocarbon chains. In DEPC bilayers, a pressure-induced conformational ordering process is observed not only in the liquid-crystalline phase but also in the gel phase, which indicates that conformational disorder exists in the liquid-crystalline phase as well as in the gel phase. |
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