Fluorescence Spectroscopic and Thermodynamic Studies of Monolayers Containing Pheophytin a and Lecithin

Abstract Mixed monolayers of pheophytin a and L‐α‐dimyristoyllecithin (DML) are investigated on the water surface. The studies gain their special value from the simultaneous measurement of surface pressure and fluorescence intensity as a function of the covered area per molecule. A phase separation...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Berichte der Bunsengesellschaft für physikalische Chemie
Main Authors: Heithier, H., Galla, H.‐J., Möhwald, H.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 1978
Subjects:
DML
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bbpc.19780820929
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fbbpc.19780820929
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/bbpc.19780820929
Description
Summary:Abstract Mixed monolayers of pheophytin a and L‐α‐dimyristoyllecithin (DML) are investigated on the water surface. The studies gain their special value from the simultaneous measurement of surface pressure and fluorescence intensity as a function of the covered area per molecule. A phase separation in the liquid state of the mono‐layer is established. Phase (1) exists almost exclusively of pheophytin molecules. Phase (2) exists essentially of DML domains solubilizing pheophytin in a concentration of 15 mol‐%. During the DML main transition the pheophytin solubility decreases to about 2 mol‐%, the excess pheophytin being precipitated within the surface layer. During the pheophytin main transition an ordered structure below the surface layer is formed. A stabilizing interaction between the pheophytin domains and their environment is observed and discussed. A sharp fluorescence change at a pressure below 0.5 dyn/cm indicates another phase transition. It very probably involves an unwrapping of pheophytin from water molecules.