NMR study of translational and rotational dynamics in monoolein-water mesophases: Obstruction and hydration effects

Using a variety of NMR methods (magnetic field gradient echo decays, H-2 one- and two-dimensional spectra, spin-lattice relaxation rates), both translational and rotational dynamics of the constituents of monoolein MO/H2O mesophases have been studied. The experiments lead to the following conclusions. The translational dynamics of the lipid molecules is essentially dominated by obstruction effects due to the topologies of the diverse mesophases. On the other hand, water dynamics-in the regime of small water concentrations-is strongly influenced by hydration of the lipid head groups. Hydration is seen in diffusion data, in spectra and in spin-lattice relaxation of the water molecules. This work represents an involved extension of our recently published work [Chem. Phys. Lipids 106, 115 (2000)].