BIDIMENSIONAL MIXTURES OF CHOLESTEROL AND POLY-GAMMA-METHYL-L-GLUTAMATE IN ALPHA-CONFORMATION AT THE WATER AIR INTERFACE - MECHANISM OF COLLAPSE

The mechanism of the collapse process of bidimensional mixtures of poly- gamma -methyl-L-glutamate in alpha conformation and cholesterol was studied. It was shown that the collapse mechanism is described by a process of nucleation and growth. The Prout-Tompkins and the second-order kinetic laws were in agreement with the experimental data. The kinetic analysis of the collapse process confirmed the bidimensional immiscibility found in static conditions from the analysis of the thermodynamic parameters. Scanning electron microscopy supported the proposed nucleation mechanism and the bidimensional immiscibility of the components. Biological implications were also considered.