International Journal of
Physical Sciences

  • Abbreviation: Int. J. Phys. Sci.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1992-1950
  • DOI: 10.5897/IJPS
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 2572

Full Length Research Paper

Compositional domain dynamics in two-coupled lipid monolayer: A mean field approximation approach

Kan Sornbundit1, Waipot Ngamsaad2, Charin Modchang1,4, Narin Nuttavut1,4, Darapond Triampo3,4 and Wannapong Triampo1,4,5*
1R&D Group of Biological and Environmental Physics, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. 2School of Science, University of Phayao, Mueang Phayao, Phayao 56000, Thailand. 3Department of Chemistry, Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. 4ThEP Center, CHE, 328 Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. 5Institute for Innovative Learning, Mahidol University, 999, Phuttamonthon 4 Road, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Published: 09 November 2012

Abstract

A continuum model for artificial membrane was developed by treating the upper and lower layers of the membrane as a pair of coupled Ising monolayers. Linear coupling between the layers was included. Linear stability analysis was used to predict the phase diagram. The dependence of the phase-separated regions on inter-layer coupling is determined. We numerically solve the Cahn-Hilliard type equations to obtain domain evolutions for both layers. The estimations of the coupling strengths between the bilayers are determined from simulations. The dynamic scaling of the characteristic domain sizes for the symmetric and asymmetric cases are also evaluated from the simulations. Unique domain-growth scaling is reported in both cases.

 

Key words: Lipid bilayers, domain coarsening dynamics, mean-field approximation, inter-layer coupling estimation.