INFRARED CHARACTERIZATION OF DIFFERENT WATER TYPES INSIDE REVERSE MICELLES

The three Gaussian components of the IR stretching band of OH for reverse micelles of egg yolk L- alpha -phosphatidylcholine in benzene have been characterized in frequency, bandwidth, and extinction coefficient. The different types of water identified inside the micelles correspond to hydration layers around the phospholipid polar heads, the first containing up to approximately 11 water molecules per polar head, the second with a maximum of 10-12 water molecules per polar head.