Biophysical Journal 73: 1506-1515 (1997)
© 1997 the Biophysical Society

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Spatial resolution of the variable-period x-ray standing-wave method as applied to model membranes.

Department of Chemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, USA.

ABSTRACT

A series of model membranes as Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films composed of long-chain zinc alkanoates (saturated fatty acid salts) was used to evaluate the spatial resolution of the variable-period x-ray standing-wave (XSW) technique. The chain length dependence of the zinc mean position (z) above the supporting substrate demonstrates that it is possible to detect differences in (z) of 1-2 A. Thus 1-2 A is the spatial resolution of the method in the current application. The data show that the chain tilt angle is chain length dependent, varying from 40 degrees to 0 degrees for alkanoates 18 and 24 carbon atoms long, respectively. The spread about the mean position of the zinc in the film, sigma(in), was found to be independent of chain length at 10.0 A for all members of the series. Sigma(in) was shown to be insensitive to the presence of a "spacer" omega-tricosenoic acid (omegaTA) bilayer placed between the zinc alkanoate LB film and the coated gold mirror. However, an overlayer of omegaTA sharpened the zinc ion distribution and lowered the chain tilt angle. This study provides important information regarding sample composition and constitution that facilitates membrane structure determination by XSWs.