Intermolecular forces in lipid monolayers. Two-dimensional virial coefficients for pentadecanoic acid from micromanometry on spread monolayers at the air/water interface

The lateral intermolecular forces between surfactant or lipid molecules in monolayers at interfaces are fundamental to understanding the phenomena of surface activity and the interactions of lipids in two-dimensional structures such as smectic phases and biomembranes. The classical approach to these forces is via the two-dimensional virial coefficients, which requires precise micromanometry on monolayer isotherms in the dilute gaseous region. Low pressure isotherms out to high surface areas in the two-dimensional gas range have been measured at 15, 25 and 30 °C for insoluble monolayers of n-pentadecanoic acid spread at the interface between water-vapour saturated air and a dilute aqueous solution of HCl. The data allow estimates of virial coefficients up to the third term. The second virial coefficients are compared with those predicted from a statistical mechanical model for monolayers of n-alkylcarboxylic acids treated as side-by-side parallel chains extended at the surface with the carboxyl head groups shielded in the water phase. The two sets coincide at ∼26 °C, but the experimental estimates show a much larger dependence on temperature than the model predicts. Chain conformation effects, head group interactions and surface field polarization are discussed as possible temperature-dependent contributions to the lateral potentials of mean force.