Domain shapes and monolayer structures of triple-chain phospholipids on water

Two triple-chain phospholipid isomers were investigated at the air-water interface by means of fluorescence microscopy and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GID). The two lipids differ only in the position of the branched chain at the glycerol backbone. Fluorescence microscopy shows different domain sharp-edged domains. In the case of dendritic domains the chains are more tilted, the deviation from hexagonal symmetry is more pronounced and hence the lattice anisotropy is larger.