Monolayer compression induces fluidization in binary system of partially fluorinated alcohol (F4H11OH) with DPPC.

A two-component Langmuir monolayer consisting of (perfluorobutyl)undecanol (F4H11OH) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), a major component of pulmonary surfactants in mammals, has been investigated at the air-water interface. The binary monolayer has been systematically examined from both thermodynamic and morphological perspectives. The excess Gibbs free energy of mixing has been calculated from surface pressure (π)-molecular area (A) isotherms, and the results indicate that the miscibility of the two-component system shows a maximum in thermodynamical stability when the mole fraction (X(F4H11OH)) is 0.3. Results from a two-dimensional phase diagram (π vs. X(F4H11OH)) are consistent with these findings and depict the degree of miscibility resulting from the variation in the transition and collapse pressures relative to the concentration of X(F4H11OH). The miscibility is also supported by in situ Brewster angle microscopy and fluorescence microscopy, as well as ex situ atomic force microscopy for the system after transfer onto a mica substrate. Aside from temperature, a known driving force for the fluidization of DPPC monolayers is a change in surface composition caused by the addition of additive molecules. In the present study, however, the fluidization is driven by increasing surface pressures even at constant X(F4H11OH). Such a fluidization is a fascinating property when looked at in context of its potential implications for pulmonary replacement therapy, and hence, this study provides a fundamental insight into designing fluorinated materials for biomedical use.