Journal article
Intramolecular and Lattice Melting in n-Alkane Monolayers: An Analog of Melting in Lipid Bilayers
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and neutron diffraction experiments have been performed on n-dotriacontane (n-C32D66) monolayers adsorbed on a graphite basal-plane surface. The diffraction experiments show little change in the crystalline monolayer structure up to a temperature of similar to 350 K above which a large thermal expansion and decrease in coherence length occurs.
The MD simulations provide evidence that this behavior is due to a phase transition in the monolayer in which intramolecular and translational order are lost simultaneously. This melting transition is qualitatively similar to the gel-to-fluid transition found in bilayer lipid membranes.
Language: | English |
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Year: | 1999 |
Pages: | 2362-2365 |
ISSN: | 10797114 and 00319007 |
Types: | Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.2362 |