Interfacial properties in Langmuir monolayers and LB films of DPPC with partially fluorinated alcohol (F8H7OH).

Two-component interactions between (perfluorooctyl) heptanol (F8H7OH) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), which is a major component of pulmonary surfactants in mammals, were systematically elucidated using Langmuir monolayers and Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of the compounds. The interactions such as the miscibility of the compounds and their phase behavior were examined from thermodynamic and morphological perspectives. The surface pressure (π)-molecular area (A) and surface potential (ΔV)-A isotherms of the binary monolayers containing F8H7OH in different mole fractions (XF8H7OH) were measured simultaneously. The excess Gibbs free energy of mixing of the two components was calculated from the π-A isotherms. The resulting isotherm data were employed to construct a two-dimensional (2D) phase diagram of the system. The phase diagram revealed that the transition pressure as well as the monolayer collapse pressure change with changes in XF8H7OH. These thermodynamic analyses suggested that the miscibility of the two components and the solidification of DPPC monolayers can be induced by the addition of F8H7OH. The phase behavior upon monolayer compression was observed morphologically in situ using Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) and fluorescence microscopy (FM), as well as ex situ using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Interestingly, the AFM-based analysis revealed the formation of monodispersed 2D micelles consisting of F8H7OH at low surface pressures.