| Supported phospholipid bilayers provide a simple model system through which properties of real cellular membranes can studied in a controlled manner. These materials are not only important for their biological relevance but also because they could potentially be engineered in next generation biotechnologies. We investigated the properties of phospholipids that were formed into arrays of bilayer stacks. Additionally, we attempted to probe the surface height fluctuations on bilayers stacks of DPPE supported on silicon using x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS). In this technique, x-rays are incident on the membrane in a grazing incidence geometry and diffusely scattered x-rays are measured using an area detector. Time fluctuations of the scattering pattern can then be analyzed to yield the relaxation rate of surface height fluctuations. Stacked bilayer systems were prepared utilizing combination of Langmuir-Blodgett and Langmuir-Schaeffer depositions. Static structural measurements were also made on these systems. Relationships between structure and dynamics of these systems will be discussed. |
