High-frequency ultrasonic absorption spectroscopy on aqueous suspensions of phospholipid bilayer vesicles

Between 1 MHz and 3 GHz the ultrasonic absorption coefficient has been precisely measured as a function of frequency for some aqueous suspensions of single-walled phospholipid bilayer vesicles. All solutions of the specially purified phospholipids clearly show excess absorption, reflecting three molecular relaxation processes with discrete relaxation times. Typical values for these times are 50, 3 and 0.5 ns. The attempt is made to relate these relaxation processes to mechanisms of rotational isomerization in the hydrocarbon chains. Some other molecular mechanisms which could also contribute to the ultrasonic excess absorption spectra are also briefly discussed.