Phase transition from an intercalated to a nonintercalated structure in a lipid bilayer

Abstract

The hydrocarbon part of ${\mathrm{C}}_{10}$ ${\mathrm{H}}_{21}$N${\mathrm{H}}_3$Cl represents at room temperature an intercalated smectic lipid bilayer. With increasing temperature the effective chain diameter increases due to a partial melting of the chains. When the effective chain diameter becomes larger than half the lattice distance, a first-order reconstructive transition to a nonintercalated structure takes place. A Landau theory describing this transition has been constructed.