Specific bindings of methyl orange to chiral bilayer membranes with β-alanyl-L-glutamoyl head groups [1]

Abstract

Interactions between methyl orange and cationic bilayer membranes constructed from a dialkyl amphiphile with a β-alanyl-L-glutamoyl head group were investigated. The chiral bilayers undergo a gel to liquid crystal phase transition to give rise to the reversible chirality change from - 8 × 10⁴ to + 11 × 10⁴ deg cm² dmol⁻¹ near the phase transition temperature. Methyl orange combines with the cationic membranes to give three kinds of spectra, belonging to the surface-oriented chiral dimer and the monomer and incorporated achiral monomer, in response to the phase transition of the bilayer membrane.