Studies of monolayer/substrate adhesion as function of the monolayer headgroup charge: DMPE and DMPA

The variation of the work of adhesion between lipid monolayers and a plane silicon oxide surface in a typical LB-configuration is measured as function of the subphase pH. The adhesion energy is deduced via fluorescence microscopy from the equilibrium meniscus height. With increasing pH the negative headgroup charge of both, dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE) and dimyristoylphosphatidic acid (DMPA) monolayers increases. The increasing charge of DMPE is reflected in a measured decrease of the work of adhesion at higher pH. The DMPA/SiO₂ interaction is not affected by increasing headgroup charges. These results are qualitatively understood in terms of an electrostatic double layer interaction between charged surfaces. It predicts decreasing adhesion for increasing, but low surface charge densities (DMPE). whereas the adhesion is constant for high surface charge densities (DMPA).