Chain-length dependence of the hydration properties of saturated phosphatidylcholines as revealed by FTIR spectroscopy

Phospholipids — as biomembrane constituents — are an interesting class of molecules, and among them, phosphatidylcholines (PCs) or lecithins are most abundant in eucaryotic organisms. We have used FTIR spectroscopy to explore hydration-induced phenomena in symmetric, even-numbered, saturated diacyl PCs with varying chain length, n, of 10–22. These compounds were studied at room temperature as multilamellar films dependent on water activity which was regulated via the ambient relative humidity (RH).