Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University in Bratislava, 832 32 Bratislava, Slovakia
Jana Gallová
Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University in Bratislava, 832 32 Bratislava, Slovakia
Thomas Hauß
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Macromolecular Crystallography, D-14109 Berlin, Germany
Jonathan Barnoud
Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
Siewert-J. Marrink
Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
Norbert Kučerka
Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University in Bratislava, 832 32 Bratislava, Slovakia
We investigate the structural changes to lipid membrane that ensue from the addition of aliphatic alcohols with various alkyl tail lengths. Small angle neutron diffraction from flat lipid bilayers that are hydrated through water vapor has been employed to eliminate possible artefacts of the membrane curvature and the alcohol’s membrane-water partitioning. We have observed clear changes to membrane structure in both transversal and lateral directions. Most importantly, our results suggest the alteration of the membrane-water interface. The water encroachment has shifted in the way that alcohol loaded bilayers absorbed more water molecules when compared to the neat lipid bilayers. The experimental results have been corroborated by molecular dynamics simulations to reveal further details. Namely, the order parameter profiles have been fruitful in correlating the mechanical model of structural changes to the effect of anesthesia.