Neutron diffraction studies on the location of water in lecithin bilayer model membranes.

Lamellar neutron diffraction from oriented multilayers of hydrated dipalmitoyl lecithin was phased by isomorphous H(2)O-D(2)O exchange and swelling techniques. Bound water sites were located in the polar head group region of the bilayer profile. A 6-A resolution structure based on the neutron scattering density profile is proposed for the bilayer. It is consistent with the electron density profile from x-ray diffraction.