Effect of Lauryl Gallate on Wetting Properties of Organized Thin Phospholipid Films on Mica.

To characterize surfaces of phospholipid/lauryl gallate monolayers deposited on mica there were applied numerous methods such as measurements of advancing and receding contact angles and optical profilometry, as well as atomic force microscopy. As a result, there was no found correlation between contact angles (and their hysteresis) or surface roughness. Hence, most monolayer topographical changes at the Ångstrom level accompanied changes in surface chemistry which resulted in the hysteresis of contact angle on thin films. The obtained results indicate that stability and permeability of the binary films are determined by the composition and stoichiometry of the mixed monolayers. These results can be helpful for insight into lauryl gallate behavior in living systems, i.e., in membrane antioxidant protection and pharmacological activities.