Microscopic Analysis of the Water/Glycerol/EO30PS System in Bulk and on a Solid Substrate.

Surfactant systems are often employed in cosmetic formulations where they dry on skin as a surface, thereby becoming increasingly concentrated systems. To better understand this drying process, we focused on the difference of self-assembled structures of the water/glycerol/polyoxyethylene (30) phytosteryl ether (EO30PS) system in bulk and on a solid substrate because the interaction between the substrate and the surfactant may have a substantial effect on the self-assembly, which may be related to the bulk structure but in detail may also differ strongly from the bulk situation. In bulk, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments showed that with increasing loss of water, the degree of ordering increases but changes of the aggregate structure are rather small. The results indicate that ellipsoidal micelles of EO30PS are densely packed and simply become more ordered in bulk during the drying process. On the other hand, neutron reflectometry revealed that EO30PS molecules adsorb onto a Si surface in the form of bilayers and analysis indicates that at a high concentration (c = 20 wt %), there are on average two bilayers (a double bilayer) on the Si substrate. The adsorbed membrane structure of EO30PS is rather thin with respect to its hydrophobic part, indicating tilted molecules, containing only some solvent, and being not highly ordered. These experimental results then allow for a much deeper understanding of the structural properties of practical formulations as they are applied, for instance, in cosmetic lotions.

Location of Polyelectrolytes in Swollen Lipid Oligobilayers.

Osteoarthritis is caused by degeneration of the cartilage, which covers the bone ends of the joints and is decorated with an oligolamellar phospholipid (PL) bilayer. The gap between the bone ends is filled with synovial fluid mainly containing hyaluronic acid (HA). HA and PLs are supposed to reduce friction and protect the cartilage from wear in joint movement. However, a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms of joint lubrication is still missing. Previously, we found that aqueous solutions of HA and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH), the latter serving as a polymeric analogue to HA, adsorb onto the headgroups of surface-bound 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) oligobilayers and significantly enhance their stability with respect to shear forces, typically occurring in joint movement. We now investigated the precise location of PAH chains across the lipid films in neutron reflectivity measurements, as bridging of the oligobilayers by polyelectrolytes (PEs) might be the cause for their improved mechanical stability. In a first set of experiments, we used hydrogenated PAH and chain-deuterated DMPC (DMPC-d54) to improve the contrast between the lipids and potentially intruding PAH. However, due to difficulties in distinguishing between incorporation of water and PAH, penetration into the lipid chain region could hardly be proven quantitatively. Therefore, we designed a more elaborate experiment based on mixed films of DMPC-d54 and hydrogenated DMPC, which is insensitive to water penetration into the films. Beside facilitating a detailed structural characterization of the oligolamellar system, this elaborate approach showed that PAH adsorbs to the DMPC heads and penetrates the lipid tail strata. No PAH was found in the lipid head strata, which excludes bridging of several lipid bilayers by the PE chains. The data are consistent with the assumption that PAH bridges are formed between the headgroups of two adjacent bilayers and contribute to the enhanced mechanical stability.

Drastic Swelling of Lipid Oligobilayers by Polyelectrolytes: A Potential Molecular Model for the Internal Structure of Lubricating Films in Mammalian Joints.

Osteoarthritis is the most common arthropathy in western civilization. It is primarily caused by the degeneration of lipid-coated cartilage, leading to increased friction in joints. Hyaluronic acid (HA), a negatively charged polysaccharide and the main component of the synovial fluid, is held responsible for joint lubrication. It is believed that HA, adsorbed to the lipid-coated cartilage, forms a protective layer against wear. Studies have shown that the concentration and molecular weight (MW) of HA are reduced in joints suffering from osteoarthritis. On the basis of these observations, local joint injections of HA or mixtures of HA and surface-active phospholipids (SAPLs) have been applied as medical cures to restore the functionality of the joints in a procedure called viscosupplementation. However, this cure is still disputed, and no consensus has been reached with respect to optimum HA concentration and MW. To provide detailed insight in the structural rearrangement of lipid films upon contact with HA or polymeric analogues, we studied the interaction of the polyelectrolyte poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) with surface-bound oligobilayers of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) by neutron reflectivity (NR) and ellipsometry. Using this model system, we found a drastic swelling of the lipid films as a function of PAH concentration, whose strength compares to that in previous studies on HA incubation. In contrast, no significant dependence of film thickness on PAH MW was observed. A detailed picture of the film architecture was developed which inter alia shows that charged PAH is adsorbed to the lipid headgroups, leading to electrostatic repulsion. The swelling behavior is well explained by the equilibrium of Coulomb and van der Waals interactions in a DLVO-based model. Our detailed structural analysis of the PAH/lipid interfacial layer may help to elucidate the mechanisms of viscosupplementation and derive a structure-function relationship for the lubricating interface in mammalian joints.

Preparation of a New Oligolamellar Stratum Corneum Lipid Model.

In this study, we present a preparation method for a new stratum corneum (SC) model system, which is closer to natural SC than the commonly used multilayer models. The complex setup of the native SC lipid matrix was mimicked by a ternary lipid mixture of ceramide [AP], cholesterol, and stearic acid. A spin coating procedure was applied to realize oligo-layered samples. The influence of lipid concentration, rotation speed, polyethylenimine, methanol content, cholesterol fraction, and annealing on the molecular arrangement of the new SC model was investigated by X-ray reflectivity measurements. The new oligo-SC model is closer to native SC in the total number of lipid membranes found between corneocytes. The reduction in thickness provides the opportunity to study the effects of drugs and/or hydrophilic penetration enhancers on the structure of SC in full detail by X-ray or neutron reflectivity. In addition, the oligo-lamellar systems allows one to infer not only the lamellar spacing, but also the total thickness of the oligo-SC model and changes thereof can be monitored. This improvement is most helpful for the understanding of transdermal drug administration on the nanoscale. The results are compared to the commonly used multilamellar lipid model systems and advantages and disadvantages of both models are discussed.

Volume profile of α-chymotrypsin during adsorption and enzymatic reaction on a poly(acrylic acid) brush.

Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) brushes are known to provide a native-like environment for proteins. In this study, we explore this biocompatibility under high pressure conditions. Using α-chymotrypsin (α-CT) as a model enzyme, we report on the pressure dependencies of the enzymatic activity and the neutron scattering length density profile, when this enzyme is adsorbed on a PAA brush. From high pressure total internal reflection fluorescence spectroscopy, an increasing enzymatic activity has been observed up to 1000 bar, but a rather pressure independent enzymatic activity at higher pressures up to 2000 bar. This finding suggests a non-constant activation volume of α-CT on the PAA brush that is negative below 1000 bar. Thus, the compact nature of the transition state of α-CT is largely preserved upon adsorption. We have also performed high pressure neutron reflectivity experiments to determine the spatial distribution of α-CT inside the PAA brush. Apparently, the enzyme is strongly binding to the PAA chains with 2.3 mg m(-2) of adsorbed enzyme that is reduced to about 1.7 mg m(-2) at 1000-2000 bar. This change of adsorbed mass is consistent with a positive volume change of adsorption, which is probably reflecting electrostriction upon protein-PAA interaction. Thus, the performed high pressure experiments provide new insights into the volume profile of α-CT during adsorption and enzymatic activity on the PAA brush. They also demonstrate that the biocompatible properties of a PAA brush can even be enhanced by pressure.

Bilayer undulation dynamics in unilamellar phospholipid vesicles: effect of temperature, cholesterol and trehalose.

We report a combined dynamic light scattering (DLS) and neutron spin-echo (NSE) study on the local bilayer undulation dynamics of phospholipid vesicles composed of 1,2-dimyristoyl-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) under the influence of temperature and the additives cholesterol and trehalose. The additives affect vesicle size and self-diffusion. Mechanical properties of the membrane and corresponding bilayer undulations are tuned by changing lipid headgroup or acyl chain properties through temperature or composition. On the local length scale, changes at the lipid headgroup influence the bilayer bending rigidity κ less than changes at the lipid acyl chain: We observe a bilayer softening around the main phase transition temperature Tm of the single lipid system, and stiffening when more cholesterol is added, in concordance with literature. Surprisingly, no effect on the mechanical properties of the vesicles is observed upon the addition of trehalose.

Surface-Active Lipid Linings under Shear Load--A Combined in-Situ Neutron Reflectivity and ATR-FTIR Study.

We study shear effects in solid-supported lipid membrane stacks by simultaneous combined in-situ neutron reflectivity (NR) and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The stacks mimic the terminal surface-active phospholipid (SAPL) coatings on cartilage in mammalian joints. Piles of 11 bilayer membranes of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) are immobilized at the interface of the solid silicon support and the liquid D2O backing phase. We replace the natural hyaluronic acid (HA) component of synovial fluid by a synthetic substitute, namely, poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH), at identical concentration. We find the oligolamellar DMPC bilayer films strongly interacting with PAH resulting in a drastic increase of the membranes d spacing (by a factor of ∼5). Onset of shear causes a buckling-like deformation of the DMPC bilayers perpendicular to the applied shear field. With increasing shear rate we observe substantially enhanced water fractions in the membrane slabs which we attribute to increasing fragmentation caused by Kelvin-Helmholtz-like instabilities parallel to the applied shear field. Both effects are in line with recent theoretical predictions on shear-induced instabilities of lipid bilayer membranes in water (Hanasaki, I.; Walther, J. H.; Kawano, S.; Koumoutsakos, P. Phys. Rev. E 2010, 82, 051602). With the applied shear the interfacial lipid linings transform from their gel state Pß' to their fluid state Lα. Although in chain-molten state with reduced bending rigidity the lipid layers do not detach from their solid support. We hold steric bridging of the fragmented lipid bilayer membranes by PAH molecules responsible for the unexpected mechanical stability of the DMPC linings.

Pressure-induced protein adsorption at aqueous-solid interfaces.

There seems to be a general relation between the standard Gibbs energy change of unfolding, ΔG°unf, of a protein and its affinity to aqueous-solid interfaces. So-called "hard" proteins (ΔG°unf is large) are found to adsorb less strongly to such interfaces than "soft" proteins (ΔG°unf is small). Here, we provide direct support for this rule by using high pressure to modulate the folding stability of a protein. We have performed high-pressure total internal reflection fluorescence (HP-TIRF) spectroscopy and high-pressure neutron reflectometry (HP-NR) to measure the degree of adsorption and the structure of lysozyme on planar solid surfaces as a function of pressure for the first time. By carrying out these experiments at hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces with varying concentrations of glycerol, we have found strong evidence that ΔG°unf has indeed a direct influence. At high pressures, there is a larger degree of lysozyme adsorption, probably because lysozyme becomes a "soft" protein under these conditions. The results of this study demonstrate that high pressure is a very useful tool to explore thermodynamics of protein-interface interactions.

Phase separation in a ternary DPPC/DOPC/POPC system with reducing hydration.

The maintenance of plasma membrane structure is vital for the viability of cells. Disruption of this structure can lead to cell death. One important example is the macroscopic phase separation observed during dehydration associated with desiccation and freezing, often leading to loss of permeability and cell death. It has previously been shown that the hybrid lipid 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) can act as a line-active component in ternary lipid systems, inhibiting macroscopic phase separation and stabilising membrane microdomains in lipid vesicles [1]. The domain size is found to decrease with increasing POPC concentration until complete mixing is observed. However, no such studies have been carried out at reduced hydration. To examine if this phase separation is unique to vesicles in excess water, we have conducted studies on several binary and ternary model membrane systems at both reduced hydration ("powder" type samples and oriented membrane stacks) and in excess water (supported lipid bilayers) at 0.2 mol fraction POPC, in the range where microdomain stabilisation is reported. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) are used to map phase transition temperatures, with X-ray and neutron scattering providing details of the changes in lipid packing and phase information within these boundaries. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is used to image bilayers on a substrate in excess water. In all cases, macroscopic phase separation was observed rather than microdomain formation at this molar ratio. Thus POPC does not stabilise microdomains under these conditions, regardless of the type of model membrane, hydration or temperature. Thus we conclude that the driving force for separation under these conditions overcomes any linactant effects of the hybrid lipid.

Nanoscale structural and mechanical effects of beta-amyloid (1-42) on polymer cushioned membranes: a combined study by neutron reflectometry and AFM Force Spectroscopy.

The interaction of beta-amyloid peptides with lipid membranes is widely studied as trigger agents in Alzheimer's disease. Their mechanism of action at the molecular level is unknown and their interaction with the neural membrane is crucial to elucidate the onset of the disease. In this study we have investigated the interaction of water soluble forms of beta-amyloid Aß(1-42) with lipid bilayers supported by polymer cushion. A reproducible protocol for the preparation of a supported phospholipid membrane with composition mimicking the neural membrane and in physiological condition (PBS buffer, pH=7.4) was refined by neutron reflectivity. The change in structure and local mechanical properties of the membrane in the presence of Aß(1-42) was investigated by neutron reflectivity and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) Force Spectroscopy. Neutron reflectivity evidenced that Aß(1-42) interacts strongly with the supported membrane, causing a change in the scattering length density profile of the lipid bilayer, and penetrates into the membrane. Concomitantly, the local mechanical properties of the bilayer are deeply modified by the interaction with the peptide as seen by AFM Force Spectroscopy. These results may be of great importance for the onset of the Alzheimer's disease, since a simultaneous change in the structural and mechanical properties of the lipid matrix could influence all membrane based signal cascades.

Reduced protein adsorption by osmolytes.

Osmolytes are substances that affect osmosis and are used by cells to adapt to environmental stress. Here, we report a neutron reflectivity study on the influence of some osmolytes on protein adsorption at solid-liquid interfaces. Bovine ribonuclease A (RNase) and bovine insulin were used as model proteins adsorbing at a hydrophilic silica and at a hydrophobic polystyrene surface. From the neutron reflectivity data, the adsorbed protein layers were characterized in terms of layer thickness, protein packing density, and adsorbed protein mass in the absence and presence of urea, trehalose, sucrose, and glycerol. All data point to the clear effect of these nonionic cosolvents on the degree of protein adsorption. For example, 1 M sucrose leads to a reduction of the adsorbed amount of RNase by 39% on a silica surface and by 71% on a polystyrene surface. Trehalose was found to exhibit activity similar to that of sucrose. The changes in adsorbed protein mass can be attributed to a decreased packing density of the proteins in the adsorbed layers. Moreover, we investigated insulin adsorption at a hydrophobic surface in the absence and presence of glycerol. The degree of insulin adsorption is decreased by even 80% in the presence of 4 M of glycerol. The results of this study demonstrate that nonionic cosolvents can be used to tune and control nonspecific protein adsorption at aqueous-solid interfaces, which might be relevant for biomedical applications.

Surfactant adsorption at the metal-oil interface.

The structure of the adsorbed palmitic acid at the iron oxide/oil interface has been investigated using polarized neutron reflectometry. The palmitic acid was found to be strongly adsorbed at the oxide/oil interface resulting in a monolayer of thickness 16 ± 4 Å for 150 and 500 ppm palmitic acid concentrations (16 ± 5 Å for the 1000 ppm solution). These layer thicknesses suggest tilt for the palmitic acid molecules with respect to the interface. The model also requires a second diffuse layer extending in the bulk oil. The thickness of this diffuse layer was 35 ± 17 Å for the 150 ppm solution and 45 ± 22 Å for 500 and 1000 ppm solution. The composition profiles at the interface suggest a depletion of the oil in the vicinity of the interface as the concentration of palmitic acid increases.

Temperature response of PNIPAM derivatives at planar surfaces: comparison between polyelectrolyte multilayers and adsorbed microgels.

Two strategies for the design of thermosensitive coatings based on poly-N-isopropyl acrylamide (PNIPAM) derivatives are presented: 1) polyelectrolyte multilayers containing a diblock copolymer with a large PNIPAM block and 2) adsorption of PNIPAM microgels. The multilayers show only a small but irreversible response to the increase of outer temperature due to the strong interdigitation between the charged part and the temperature-sensitive block, while the adsorbed microgels show a pronounced and reversible response. It will be shown that the microgel number density can be easily controlled at the substrate. The swelling and shrinking of two extremes in density are characterized: densely packed microgels, which are considered as a film, and individual microgels, which are able to swell and shrink also lateral to the surface.

Probing adsorption and aggregation of insulin at a poly(acrylic acid) brush.

A planar poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) brush provides an unusual substrate for the unspecific immobilization of proteins on material surfaces. At neutral pH-values, proteins adsorb at a PAA brush when the ionic strength of the protein solution is low. In contrast, raising the ionic strength to a few 100 mM transforms a PAA brush into a rather protein-resistant surface coating. Moreover, a PAA brush represents a mild environment for adsorbed proteins which preserves their secondary structure and biological activity. In this study, we focus on the biocompatibility of a PAA brush with an insulin solution. Insulin can form amyloid fibrils, which may also be triggered by interfaces. Using neutron reflectometry and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, the effects of pD value, ionic strength, and glycerol concentration on the density profile and the secondary structure of adsorbed insulin molecules at a PAA brush have been studied. At pD 7, insulin adsorbs at a PAA brush despite its negative net charge. As has been found for other proteins in earlier studies, increasing the ionic strength of the insulin solution to 500 mM decreases the amount of adsorbed insulin drastically. In contrast, at pD 2, addition of salt to the insulin solution induces a thick insulin adsorbate at a PAA brush suggesting both protein-brush and protein-protein interactions, i.e., insulin adsorption and aggregation to be effective. However, in the presence of 2 M glycerol, insulin adsorption is largely suppressed. Furthermore, no major alterations of the secondary structure of adsorbed insulin can be detected by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy under all conditions studied. Hence, the performed experiments demonstrate that a PAA brush does not promote the formation of insulin amyloid structures, which represents a fundamentally new aspect of the biocompatibility of this material surface coating.

Interaction of IAPP and insulin with model interfaces studied using neutron reflectometry.

The islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) and insulin are coproduced by the beta-cells of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans. Both peptides can interact with negatively charged lipid membranes. The positively charged islet amyloid polypeptide partially inserts into these membranes and subsequently forms amyloid fibrils. The amyloid fibril formation of insulin is also accelerated by the presence of negatively charged lipids, although insulin has a negative net charge at neutral pH-values. We used water-polymer model interfaces to differentiate between the hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions that can drive these peptides to adsorb at an interface. By applying neutron reflectometry, the scattering-length density profiles of IAPP and insulin, as adsorbed at three different water-polymer interfaces, were determined. The islet amyloid polypeptide most strongly adsorbed at a hydrophobic poly-(styrene) surface, whereas at a hydrophilic, negatively charged poly-(styrene sulfonate) interface, the degree of adsorption was reduced by 50%. Almost no IAPP adsorption was evident at this negatively charged interface when we added 100 mM NaCl. On the other hand, negatively charged insulin was most strongly attracted to a hydrophilic, negatively charged interface. Our results suggest that IAPP is strongly attracted to a hydrophobic surface, whereas the few positive charges of IAPP cannot warrant a permanent immobilization of IAPP at a hydrophilic, negatively charged surface at an ionic strength of 100 mM. Furthermore, the interfacial accumulation of insulin at a hydrophilic, negatively charged surface may represent a favorable precondition for nucleus formation and fibril formation.

Analysis of Hofmeister effects on the density profile of protein adsorbates: a neutron reflectivity study.

The effects of various salts on the adsorption of ribonuclease A (RNase) at a hydrophobic poly(styrene) film was analyzed in this study applying neutron reflectometry. It has been found that both the kosmotropic salts, (NH4)2SO4 and Na2SO4, and the chaotropic salts, NaSCN and Ca(SCN)2, significantly reduce the amount of adsorbed protein. Maximum adsorption is observed in the presence of NaCl. Apparently, there is no single Hofmeister effect on the degree of protein adsorption at an aqueous-solid interface that ranges from kosmotropic to chaotropic ions. The observed variations in the adsorbed amount can be attributed to variations in the packing density of the adsorbed protein molecules. The results suggest that kosmotropic salts reduce the degree of protein adsorption by disfavoring a conformational adaptation and a dehydration of the protein molecules at a hydrophobic poly(styrene) film. On the other hand, chaotropic salts shield hydrophobic interactions between the protein molecules and the substrate by saturating hydrophobic patches on the protein surface. Remarkably, the results of this study corroborate earlier findings on the effects of nonionic cosolvents on protein adsorption (Koo, J.; Gutberlet, T.; Czeslik, C. J. Phys. Chem. B 2008, 112, 6292-6295).

Internal structure of a thin film of mixed polymeric micelles on a solid/liquid interface.

The adsorption of mixed micelles of poly(4-(2-amino hydrochloride-ethylthio)-butylene)- block-poly(ethylene oxide), PAETB 49- b-PEO 212 and poly(4-(2-sodium carboxylate-ethylthio)-butylene)- block-poly(ethylene oxide), PCETB 47- b-PEO 212 on solid/liquid interfaces has been studied with light, X-ray, and neutron reflectometry. The structure of the adsorbed layer can be described with a two-layer model consisting of an inner layer formed by the coacervate of the polyelectrolyte blocks PAETB 49 and PCETB 47 ( approximately 1 nm) and an outer layer of PEO 212 blocks ( approximately 6 nm). The micelles unfold upon adsorption forming a rather homogeneous flat layer that exposes its polyethylene oxide chains into the solution, thus rendering the surface antifouling after modification with the micelles.

The influence of secondary interactions during the formation of polyelectrolyte multilayers: layer thickness, bound water and layer interpenetration.

With X-ray and neutron reflectivity, the structure and composition of polyelectrolyte multilayers from poly(allyl amine) (PAH) and poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) are studied as function of preparation conditions (salt concentration and solution temperature, T). The onset of a temperature effect occurs at 0.05 M NaCl (Debye length approximately 1 nm). At 1 M salt, the film thickness increases by a factor of 3 on heating the deposition solution from 5 to 60 degrees C. The PAH/PSS bilayer thickness is independent of the kind of salt (NaCl or KCl), yet its composition is different (more bound water for NaCl). At low T, the internal roughness is 33% of the bilayer thickness; it increases to 60% at high T. The roughening is accompanied by a total loss of bound water. At which temperature the roughening starts is a function of the kind of salt (50 degrees C for NaCl and 35 degrees C for KCl). The strong temperature dependence and the eventual loss of bound water molecules may be attributed to the hydrophobic force; however, there is an isotope effect, since the loss of bound water is less pronounced in the deuterated layers.

Reversible activation of diblock copolymer monolayers at the interface by pH modulation, 1: Lateral chain density and conformation.

This study focuses on the design of chemically regulated surfaces that allow for reversible control of the interactions between biological matter (cells and proteins) and planar substrates. As a tunable interlayer, we use a monolayer of a near-monodisperse poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate-block-methyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA-PMMA) diblock copolymer. Owing to the relatively large fraction (50%) of the hydrophobic PMMA block, this copolymer forms a stable Langmuir monolayer at the air/water interface. Both in situ and ex situ film balance experiments suggest that the hydrophilic PDMAEMA block adsorbs to the air/water interface in its uncharged state (pH 8.5), but stretches into the subphase in its charged state (pH 5.5). Optimization of the preparation protocols enables us to fabricate stable, homogeneous diblock copolymer films on hydrophobized substrates via Langmuir-Schaefer transfer at well-defined lateral chain densities. Ellipsometry and X-ray reflectivity studies of the transferred films confirm that the film thickness can be systematically regulated by the lateral chain densities. The transferred copolymer films remain stable in water for about a week, suggesting that they are promising materials for the creation of pH-controlled solid substrates for the support of biological matter such as proteins and cells.

Reversible activation of diblock copolymer monolayers at the interface by pH modulation, 2: Membrane interactions at the solid/liquid interface.

A monolayer of the pH-responsive poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate-block-methyl methacrylate] diblock copolymer [PDMAEMA-PMMA] was transferred from the air/water interface to a silicon substrate for evaluation as a tunable interlayer between biological material and solid substrates. Specular neutron reflectivity experiments revealed that the weak polyelectrolyte PDMAEMA chains at the solid/liquid interface can be reversibly activated by pH modulation. The thickness, scattering length density, and surface roughness of the polymer film can be systematically controlled by pH titration. As a simple model of plasma membranes, a lipid bilayer was deposited onto the polymer film. The membrane-substrate interaction was characterized by neutron reflectivity experiments, demonstrating that the membrane-substrate distance could be reversibly regulated by pH titration. These results confirm the potential of stimuli-responsive polymers for precise control of cell-surface interactions.