Nonlamellar lipid liquid crystalline model surfaces for biofunctional studies

Nonlamellar lipid liquid crystalline (LC) bulk phases and dispersions show promise as functional nanostructured materials for potential use as controlled release matrices e. g. in pharmaceuticals. Herein, methods for preparing and characterizing thin films of lipid liquid crystalline phases on solid surfaces are presented. The thickness, hydration phase structure and surface topography of spin-coated films of mixtures of soy phosphatidylcholine and glycerol dioleate are characterized by means of spectroscopic ellipsometry, small angle X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Besides being useful as bioadhesive drug delivery systems, the lipid nonlamellar LC films produced may also be exploited as model surfaces for studying properties such as bioadhesion and biodegradation.