Biophysical Journal 12: 175-190 (1972)
© 1972 the Biophysical Society

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Direct Determination of the Structure of Barium Stearate Multilayers by X-Ray Diffraction

ABSTRACT

Diffraction of X-rays is recorded from barium stearate multilayer systems with from 2 to 60 double layers or unit cells. The generalized Patterson function P'(x) is calculated by an integral Fourier transform of observed intensity data from a specimen containing only two unit cells. The Patterson function P₀(x) of a single unit cell is determined from P'(x) and the electron density distribution of a bimolecular leaflet is obtained by a deconvolution procedure of P₀(x) after Hosemann and Bagchi. The electron density distribution is also calculated independently by a conventional Fourier synthesis with an experimentally established set of phases. The results of the two methods are consistent and fit a physical model of the bimolecular leaflet. A direct analysis, therefore, can be performed if diffraction is observed from multilayer systems with a small number of unit cells.