INTERFACIAL COAGULATION OF PROTEINS

Proteins coagulate at an interface once a critical interfacial pressure is reached. This corresponds to the equilibrium spreading pressure of monomeric compounds. The process of respreading is normally extremely slow owing to the formation of a hydrogen-bonded network. The coagulation pressure (πc) can be estimated from the equation for equilibrium of duplex films: πc = γa - (γb + γab), where γa is the initial interfacial free energy and γa and γab are the free energies at the two surfaces of the protein monolayer. © 1969.