Conformation-dependent features in the raman spectra of simple lipids

✍ Scribed by Käre Larsson

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1973
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 511 KB
• Volume: 10
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0009-3084
• DOI: 10.1016/0009-3084(73)90013-3

✦ Synopsis

Raman spectroscopy is shown to be a useful method in order to study the conformation in hydrophobic regions of lipid systems. The most sensitive part of the spectra in this respect is formed by the C-H stretching vibrations. Different close-packing arrangements of the hydrocarbon chains can thus be identified in the solid state, and the successive increase in the degree of disorder at transitions into liquid-crystalline and micellar phases can be seen from changes in the spectra. Even when the phases contain more than 90% (w/w) of water, well resolved spectral contributions from the lipids are obtained, and direct analyses of biological systems are therefore possible. Some applications are also demonstrated.