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Updated: May 7, 2026

Biomembrane Fabrication by the Solvent-assisted Lipid Bilayer SALB Method
Published on: December 1, 2015
Partitioning of lysolipids, fatty acids and their mixtures in aqueous lipid bilayers: solute
Jasmeet Singh1, Amy Jo Lai, Yasmin Alaee
1Department of Physics and the Center for Supramolecular Studies, California State University Northridge, CA 91330-8268, USA.
Abstract:
Distributions of lysopalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (LPPC), palmitic acid (PA) and their 1:1 mixtures between water and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayer were determined using a fluorescence probe that selectively detects only the solutes in water. Water solute concentrations were obtained at each of several lipid concentrations. Dynamic Light Scattering experiments confirmed that the lipid/solute aggregates were vesicles in the concentration range investigated. Lipid concentration dependence of the solute component in water was fit to a thermodynamic model of solute distribution between two coexisting solvents. Water/bilayer partition coefficient and the free energy of transfer, for each of these solutes were determined from the fit. Main findings are: (1) Water/bilayer partition coefficient of solute is greater for 2 to 10% solute mole fraction than for 0 to 2%, signaling solute induced bilayer perturbation that increases bilayer solubility, beginning at 2% solute mole fraction. (2) Partition coefficients are in the order LPPC
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