EXCIMER FORMATION AND PHASE SEPARATION OF HYDROCARBON AND FLUOROCARBON BILAYER MEMBRANES.

The benzene chromophore contained in double-chain(hydrocarbon) ammonium amphiphiles gives both of monomer and excimer fluorescence in the fluid(liquid crystalline) bilayer organization. The excimer emission disappears by phase transition to the rigid(crystalline) bilayer. In contrast, the corresponding fluorocarbon bilayer, in the absence of phase transition phenomena, shows excimer emission at all temperatures(15-50 degree C). The excimer emission decreases when these probe amphiphiles are diluted in maxtrix bilayers. These results are applied to study the phase separation behavior of hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon bilayer membranes. The fluorocarbon bilayer is not extensively miscible with the hydrocarbon bilayer, and vice versa. The miscibility is influenced additionally by the chemical structure of amphiphiles. The rate of mixing is determined by the component miscibility as well as by the aggregate morphology.