Influence of perfluorinated compounds on model lipid membranes prepared using Langmuir and Langmuir-Schaefer techniques

The influence of selected perfluorinated compounds, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulphonic acid (PFOS), on the structure and organization of lipid membranes was studied using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. Three phospholipids: 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanoloamine (DMPE) characterized by different surface properties have been chosen as components of the model membranes. The presence of both PFOA and PFOS in the subphase leads to the formation of a more fluidic layer at the air-water interface. Moreover, perfluorinated compounds were found to interact with lipid layers transferred onto the electrode surface by means of Langmuir-Schaefer technique. Incubation in the solution of perfluorooctanesulphonic acid caused changes in the structure of the transferred monolayer monitored by voltammetric methods. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.