The surface viscosity of mixed monolayers

Summary The theory ofEyring of viscous flow, allows to describe the newtonian surface viscosity of a monolayer containing only one active component. This theory is extended to mixed monolayers with miscible components, allowing to calculate the surface viscosity of a surface mixture if the flow parameters of the single components are known. This theory is experimentally illustrated for the systems senegin/digitonin and cholesterol/phospholipids. The results of the last system are discussed in terms of the property of cholesterol being a liquifier in cell membranes.Next the surface viscosities of dilute cholesterol monolayers penetrated by digitonin are given. In this situation no agreement between theory and experiment is observed, indicating an interaction between these components as already known from other experimental techniques. This increased surface viscosity may be related to the strong hemolytic action of digitonin.Paper presented to the British Society of Rheology Conference on Rheology in Medicine and Pharmacy, London, April 14–15, 1970.