Thermodynamic Approach to Phase Coexistence in Ternary Phospholipi-Cholesterol Mixtures
Soft Condensed Matter
2011-04-01 v1
Abstract
We introduce a simple and predictive model for determining the phase stability of ternary phospholipid-cholesterol mixtures. Assuming that competition between the liquid and gel order of the phospholipids is the main driving force behind lipid segregation, we derive a Gibbs free-energy of mixing, based on the thermodynamic properties of the lipids main transition. A numerical approach was devised that enable the fast and efficient determination of the ternary diagrams associated with our Gibbs free-energy. The computed phase coexistence diagram of DOPC/DPPC/cholesterol reproduces well known features for this system at 10\circ C, as well as its evolution with temperature.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1103.6106,
title = {Thermodynamic Approach to Phase Coexistence in Ternary Phospholipi-Cholesterol Mixtures},
author = {Jean Wolff and Carlos M. Marques and Fabrice Thalmann},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1103.6106},
year = {2011}
}