Molecular Scale Study of Domain Boundaries and Frictional Stick-Slip Motion on Lipid Bilayers

A highly 2-dimensional (2D) anisotropic crystal formation of an organic one component lipid bilayer system is presented measured in air by atomic force microscopy. 2D domains with different crystal orientation could be observed. Their molecularly smooth domain boundaries are perceived to be either commensurable or incommensurable lattice joints. Differences in the orientation of the crystal lattice affects dynamic friction on the micrometer scale. High resolution friction images provide stick-slip motions depending on the scan direction in respect to the lattice orientation. It is shown that sliding friction can be determined by an averaged value of the molecular stick-slip motion of the fr…