Amphiphile Bilayer Self-Assembly
Hydrophobic effect drives lipid organization — Helfrich free energy
Parameters
N amphiphiles:
120
Hydrophobic strength ε_h:
2.0
Temperature kT:
1.0
Head repulsion ε_r:
1.5
F_hydrophobic = -ε_h × (tail contacts)
F_steric = +ε_r/r² (head-head)
F_Helfrich = κ/2 × (c₁+c₂-c₀)²
CMC: φ* = exp(-ε_h/kT)
Order param: —
CMC: —
Rebuild
Pause
Amphiphiles have hydrophilic heads (circles) and hydrophobic tails (sticks). Above CMC, they spontaneously form bilayers or micelles. The hydrophobic mismatch energy drives tail burial; Helfrich elasticity resists curvature.