Constraining Polymers into β-Turns: Miscibility and Phase Segregation Effects in Lipid Monolayers

Investigation of model biomembranes and their interactions with natural or synthetic macromolecules are of great interest to design membrane systems with specific properties such as drug-delivery. Here we study the behavior of amphiphilic β-turn mimetic polymer conjugates at the air–water interface and their interactions with lipid model membranes. For this endeavor we synthesized two different types of conjugates containing either hydrophobic polyisobutylene (PIB, M(n) = 5000 g·mol(−1)) or helical poly(n-hexyl isocyanate) (PHIC, M(n) = 4000 g·mol(−1)), both polymers being immiscible, whereas polyisobutylene as a hydrophobic polymer can incorporate into lipid membranes. The conjugates were investigated using Langmuir-film techniques coupled with epifluorescence microscopy and AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy), in addition to their phase behavior in mixed lipid/polymer membranes composed of DPPC (dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine). It was found that the DPPC monolayers are strongly disturbed by the presence of the polymer conjugates and that domain formation of the polymer conjugates occurs at high surface pressures (π > 30 mN·m(−1)).