Characterization of Biological Thin Films at the Solid-Liquid Interface by X-Ray Reflectivity

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C.E. Miller, J. Majewski, T. Gog, T.L. Kuhl

Abstract:
We demonstrate that 18 keV x rays can be used to study organic thin films at the solid-liquid interface by x-ray reflectivity. We establish that this is a powerful technique for investigating biological systems in a previously inaccessible manner. Our measurements enabled the density distribution of single phospholipid bilayer membranes in bulk water to be measured with unprecedented precision. Previously, characterization of biomimetic structures normal to a "buried" interface was a domain of neutron reflectivity.