In the past decade substantial progress has been made in understanding the organization and biological activity of amphotericin B (AmB) in the presence of sterols in lipid environments. This review concentrates mainly on interactions of AmB with lipids and sterols, AmB channel formation in membranes, AmB aggregation, AmB modifications important for understanding its biological activity, and AmB models explaining its mechanism of action. Most of the reviewed studies concern monolayers at the water–gas interface, monolayers deposited on a solid substrate by use of the Langmuir–Blodgett technique, micelles, vesicles, and multi-bilayers. Liposomal AmB formulations and drug delivery are intentionally omitted, because several reviews dedicated to this subject are already available.

The interface of Cu͑001͒ electrode surfaces in 10 mM HCl solution was studied by in situ surface x-ray diffraction and density functional theory, focusing on the precise structure of the c͑2 ϫ 2͒ Cl adlayer formed at positive potentials. Crystal truncation rod measurements in this adsorbate phase at a potential of −0.20 V Ag/AgCl reveal distinct differences to corresponding data by Tolentino et al. ͓Surf. Sci. 601, 2962 ͑2007͔͒ for the c͑2 ϫ 2͒ Cl structure formed at the Cu͑001͒-vacuum interface. Although in both environments, the atoms in the second Cu layer exhibit a small vertical corrugation, the sign of this corrugation is reversed. Furthermore, also the Cu-Cl bond distance and the average Cu interlayer spacings at the surface differ. Ab initio calculations performed for this adsorbate system reproduce these effects-specifically the reversal of the subsurface second-layer buckling caused in the presence of coadsorbed water molecules and cations in the outer part of the electrochemical double layer. In addition, studies at more negative potentials reveal a continuous surface phase transition to a disordered Cl adlayer at −0.62 V Ag/AgCl , but indicate a substantial Cl coverage even at the onset of hydrogen evolution.

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We have determined the ordering properties of water adsorbed at room temperature on the rock salt (100) surface under four different conditions: ultrahigh vacuum, dry nitrogen atmosphere, 45% and 75% relative humidity. Details of the atomic structure are determined for both sides of the solid-liquid interface. The top most layer of NaCl shows a small relaxation that changes from an expansion to a contraction with increasing humidity. Under all measured conditions water monolayers with different ordering properties are present at the interface. Surprisingly, we find that the amount of ordering in the first layer is increasing with increasing thickness of the water film. At a solid-liquid interface, the ordering appears to be correlated with the solubility.

The paper presents results of fluorescence analysis of ionic and nonionic 2-((4-fluorophenyl)amino)-5-(2,4-dihydroxybenzeno)-1,3,4-thiadiazole (FABT) in monocrystals and solutions. We found a single fluorescence band in the case of FABT crystals grown in methanol and dual fluorescence for FABT crystals grown in an aqueous environment. The effect of dual fluorescence was preserved for FABT dissolved in aqueous solutions with pH ranging from 7.5 to 1. In contrast, FABT dissolved in methanol exhibited a single fluorescence band. The dual fluorescence effect is associated with conformational changes in the FABT molecule, which can be induced by aggregation effects. On the basis of crystallographic data, two types of FABT crystal molecule conformations were distinguished. In methanol, FABT molecules are in conformation "S" (the -OH group from the resorcyl ring oriented toward the sulfur atom from the 1,3,4-thiadiazole ring), which a gives single fluorescence band. In water, FABT in conformation "N" (the -OH group from the resorcyl ring oriented toward the nitrogen atom from the 1,3,4-thiadiazole ring due to 180° rotation) has two fluorescence bands. This significant finding implies the possibility of performing a rapid analysis of conformational changes in FABT molecules using fluorescence spectroscopy both in solutions and in biological samples.

Using surface x-ray diffraction, we have determined the atomic structure of the ͕010͖ interface of brushite, CaHPO 4 ·2͑H 2 O͒, with water. Since this biomineral contains water layers as part of its crystal structure, special ordering properties at the interface are expected. We found that this interface consists of two water bilayers with different ordering properties. The first water bilayer is highly ordered and can be considered as part of the brushite crystal structure. Surprisingly, the second water bilayer exhibits no in-plane order, but shows only layering in the perpendicular direction. We propose that the low level of water ordering at the interface is correlated with the low solubility of brushite in water.

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