Using refnx to Model Neutron Reflectometry Data from Phospholipid Bilayers.

Neutron reflectometry has emerged as a powerful method for studying the structure of thin films in contact with solution at sub-molecular spatial resolution (Penfold and Thomas, J Phys Condens Matter 2:1369-1412, 1990). This type of experiment is undertaken at large international central facilities and experience in data analysis and interpretation is not always available "locally". Here, we describe the application of the refnx software suite (Nelson and Prescott, J Appl Crystallogr 52:193-200, 2019) to the analysis of a single phospholipid bilayer deposited at a silicon/buffer interface. The data is modeled such that the fitted parameters are readily interpretable by researchers working with lipid bilayers.