Correlation of surface pressure and hue of planarizable push–pull chromophores at the air/water interface

• Frederik Neuhaus,
• Fabio Zobi,
• Gerald Brezesinski,
• Marta Dal Molin,
• Stefan Matile and
• Andreas Zumbuehl

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 1099–1105, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.109

• using fluorescence microscopy, grazing-incidence angle X-ray diffraction, and infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy. An increase of the lateral membrane pressure leads to a well-packed layer of the ‘flipper’ mechanophores and a clear change in hue above 18 mN/m. The fluorescent probes had no

• influence on the measured isotherm of the natural phospholipid DPPC suggesting that the flippers probe the lateral membrane pressure without physically changing it. This makes the flipper probes a truly useful addition to the membrane probe toolbox. Keywords: fluorescent probes; membrane biophysics

• ; membrane pressure; membrane probes; monolayers; Introduction Physical triggers are a major regulator of biological processes. The lateral bilayer membrane pressure, e.g., influences the nucleation [1] and shape changes [2] of lipid domains, it gates mechanosensitive pores [3] and globally organizes cell