Multilamellarity, structure and hydration of extruded POPC vesicles by SANS.

The small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) data of 12 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) dispersions at low lipid concentration (1 mg per 100-mg heavy water) prepared by 5, 9 and 29 extrusions through filters of pores with 50, 100, 200 and 400 nm diameter are presented. They were analyzed within a theory that permits the determination of both structural and hydration parameters of the bilayers as well as the portions of multilamellar vesicles in dispersions with negligible long-range order between the vesicles. The scattering length density profile across the bilayers is approximated by assuming a central hydrocarbon core surrounded by a water-accessible coat. It is modeled by two different forms of functions. In the boat model, the scattering length density of the coat changes linearly from core to water, whereas in the strip model it is constant across the water-accessible coat. It was found that the boat model reflects the reality better than the strip model. The decrease of the multilamellar vesicle portions, either with increasing the number of extrusions at same filter size and with decreasing the filter size, was characterized quantitatively.