Phase Transition and Domain Formation

The above-mentioned physicochemical properties of phospholipids lead to spontaneous formation of bilayers. Depending on the water-lipid ratio, on the type of phospholipids, and the temperature, the bilayer exists in different, defined mesomorphic physical organizations. These are the La high-temperature liquid crystalline form, the Lp gel form with restricted movement of the hydrocarbon chains, and an inverted hexagonal phase, Hn (see Sections 1.3.1 and 1.3.2). 

1) the change in main phase transition temperature, defined as the peak of the gel- 

3) the width at half-height, ATt, of the phase transition profile, expressed in °C. 

The first parameter is an expression of changes in membrane fluidity, i.e. the passage of a certain number of aliphatic chains from an ordered to a disordered state. The last is a measure of destabilization of the phospholipid assemblies, indicating a decrease in size of the cooperative unit, which is defined by the number of chains that change simultaneously. 

The influence of substituent size, polarity, and location on the thermotropic properties of synthetic phosphatidylcholines has been studied by Menger et al. [18], The effect of increasing membrane curvature on the phase transition has been investigated by DSC and FTIR [19]. In addition, a data bank, LIPIDAT, on lipid phase transition temperatures and enthalpy changes is available [20, 21], 

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Lipid phase transitions are often slow on the timescale accessible to simulations, such as the gel to liquid-crystalline phase transition. Using the MARTINI model, liquid-crystalline to gel phase transitions and domain formation have been... 

Here we consider a ferroelectric phase transition and domain formation in a periodic multilayer structure consisting of alternate ferroelectric (FE) and paraelectric (PE)... 

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