Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol.107, No.2, 638-644, 1997
Micellar Aggregates Near the Isotropic-Cubic Liquid-Crystal Phase-Transition
Micellar solutions of the palmitoyl-lyso-phosphatidyl choline (PLPC)/water system are studied by small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) from the diluted isotropic (I) phase up to the concentrated I phase near the I-->cubic (Q(223)) phase transition, for concentrations C in the range 5 less than or equal to C less than or equal to 37.5 wt % of PLPC. The particle distance distribution function p(r) is calculated for the less concentrated solution. A model for the product P(q)S(q), where P(q) is the micellar form factor and S(q) is the intermicellar interference function calculated using a hard sphere interaction potential, is fitted to the SAXS curves. It is found that PLPC micelles remain with a prolate ellipsoidal shape of constant anisometry nu=(1.80+/-0.05) in the whole concentration range. Such finding contrasts whit that found for systems that show I-->hexagonal (H) phase transitions. In the latter, similar SAXS curves revealed that micelles grow to slightly higher anisometry (nu similar to 2.4). Results are analysed in terms of a recent model based on the micellar elastic bending energy, through the surfactant parameter p(0)=upsilon(par)/al(c)(upsilon(par) and l(c) are the volume and the critical length of the paraffin chain, a the polar head surface area). It is concluded that the formation of the Q(223) phase requires that micelles remain spheroidal and avoid the spherocylindrical shape.
Keywords:SMALL-ANGLE SCATTERING;LIPID-CONTAINING SYSTEMS;X-RAY-SCATTERING;HEXAGONAL PHASES;WATER-SYSTEMS;BEHAVIOR;SPHERES;GROWTH;RODS