Adsorption equilibria between liposome membrane formed of phosphatidylcholine and aqueous sodium chloride solution as a function of pH.

The effect has been studied of the adsorption of ions (H(+), Na(+), OH(-), Cl(-)) which are present in solution upon the electric charge of the liposome membrane formed of phosphatidylcholine (PC). The surface charge density of the membrane was determined as a function of pH and electrolyte concentration from electrophoretic mobility measurements. The measurements were carried out by the laser-Doppler microelectrophoresis method. A four-equilibria model has been proposed to describe the phenomena occurring on the membrane surface. The equilibria in which the adsorption of other ions on the liposome membrane surface was involved were assumed to exist beside the equilibria in which the H(+) and OH(-) ions were engaged. The idea was confirmed by mathematical calculations. Association constants of the liposome membrane surface with ions of solution (K(AH), K(ANa), K(BOH), K(BCl)) were determined. The proposed model has been proved to be correct by comparing the resulting theoretic charge variation curves of the lecithin membrane with the experimental data.