Biomimetic monolayer films of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol incorporating ubiquinone

► Biomimetic monolayers of MGDG:UQ have been studied using isotherms, BAM and AFM. ► At a certain surface pressure, part of the UQ is expelled from the MGDG matrix. ► At high π, similar monolayer UQ content remains regardless the initial composition. ► MGDG:UQ mixtures show less ordered phases than pure MGDG caused by UQ distortion.