Thermodynamics of monolayers formed by mixtures of phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylserine

In this work we obtain the thermodynamic properties of mixed (1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) PC and (1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-l-serine (sodium salt)) PS monolayers. Measurements of compressibility (isotherms, bulk modulus, and excess area per molecule) and surface potential show that the properties of monolayers at the air–water interface depend on the concentration of ions (Na+ and K+) and the proportion of PS in the mixture. The dependence on PS arises because the molecule is originally bound to a Na+ counterion; by increasing the concentration of ions the entropy changes, creating a favorable system for the bound counterions of PS to join the bulk, leaving a negatively charged molecule. This change leads to an increase in electrostatic repulsions which is reflected by the increase in area per molecule versus surface pressure and a higher surface potential. The results lead to the conclusion that this mixture of phospholipids follows a non ideal behavior and can help to understand the thermodynamic behavior of membranes made of binary mixtures of a zwitterionic and an anionic phospholipid with a bound counterion.

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► The concentration of ions in the subphase changes the state of PS and therefore, the thermodynamical properties of the monolayer.
► Mixed phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) monolayers show non-ideal behavior.
► The surface charge of mixed PC and PS monolayers increases as the concentration of ions in the subphase increases.