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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions
Published on: August 3, 2021
Effects of gemini surfactants on egg phosphatidylcholine bilayers in the fluid lamellar phase
Martina Dubnicková1, Sergej Yaradaikin, Ivan Lacko
1Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University, 83232 Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
Abstract:
The influence of 1,4-butanediamonium-N,N'-dialkyl-N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl dibromides (CmA, m = 7-16 is the number of alkyl carbons) on the egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (EYPC) bilayer thickness and lipid surface area at the bilayer-aqueous phase interface is studied using X-ray diffraction on fluid lamellar CmA + EYPC + H2O phases as a function of CmA:EYPC and H2O:EYPC molar ratios and the alkyl chain length m. At the constant CmA:EYPC = 0.4 and H2O:EYPC = 18 molar ratios, the CmA induced bilayer thickness decrease shows a minimum and the lipid surface area increase a maximum at the alkyl chain length m = 9. The obtained results are discussed in the context of a structural perturbation model of the cut-off effect in biological potencies of surfactants which occurs when increasing the alkyl substituent chain length above the critical value.
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