Anomalous pH dependence of the coexistence pressure of the polymerizable two-chain N-lipid methyl-bis(pentacosadiinoyl-oxyethyl)-amine

Abstract

Molecular films from polymeric materials play an important role in basic research as well as in technology. We have synthesized the double chain diacetylenic ammonium lipid N-bis-(10, 12-pentacosadiinoyl)-oxy-ethyl)-N-methyl-amine (ONCO). We have characterized monomolecular films at the air/water interface by means of microfluorescence filmbalance techniques and by atomic force microscopy (AFM). ONCO forms stable monomolecular films that exhibit a fluid-solid phase transition with a transition enthalpy of 90 kJ/mol at 10 °C and neutral pH. The coexistence pressure was found to decrease with decreasing protonation, which is in contrast to the commonly found Coulomb mechanism. A change in the chain packing due to a different nitrogen bond angle is discussed as a possible mechanism. This model is cor-roborated by the finding that crystals at high and at low pH differ in their polymerization properties as measured by microfluorescence.