Elastic curvature constants of lipid monolayers and bilayers

Bending elasticity is an important property of lipid vesicles, non-lamellar lipid phases and biological membranes. Experimental values of the mean curvature moduli, kc, of lipid bilayers and of the monolayer leaflets of inverted hexagonal (HII) phases of lipids are tabulated here for easy reference. Experimental estimates of the Gaussian curvature modulus, k¯c, are also included. Consideration is given to the relation between the bending moduli of bilayers and the constituent monolayer leaflets. Useful mathematical relations involving the bending moduli and spontaneous curvature are summarized.