Molecular motions in lipid bilayers studied by the neutron backscattering technique

We report a high energy-resolution neutron backscattering study to investigate slow motions on nanosecond time scales in highly oriented solid supported phospholipid bilayers of the model system DMPC-d54 (deuterated 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phoshatidylcholine), hydrated with heavy water. This technique allows to discriminate the onset of mobility at different length scales for the different molecular components, as, e.g., the lipid …