Ultrafast energy flow in model biological membranes

We report on the energy flow dynamics in model membranes, investigated by surface-specific time-resolved (femtosecond) sum frequency generation spectroscopy. This recently developed technique allows us to probe energy dynamics selectively at the water/lipid interface. We report vibrational relaxation dynamics of C–H stretch modes in the lipid alkyl chains, and reveal that incoherent energy transfer occurs from the excited CH₂ groups to the terminal CH₃ groups. We also find evidence for strong anharmonic coupling between different CH₂ and CH₃ modes. Relaxation and the energy transfer processes within the lipid alkyl chain occur on (sub-)picosecond timescales. Studies of the dynamics on different lipid phases (gel or liquid crystalline phase) reveal a marked independence of the dynamics on the precise molecular conformation of the lipids. In addition, we report the energy transfer dynamics between membrane-bound water and lipids, and find that the transfer of heat between water and lipids occurs remarkably fast: heat is transferred across the monolayer, from the polar head group region of the lipid to the end of the alkyl chain, within 1 ps. These results demonstrate the potential of using ultrafast surface-specific spectroscopies to elucidate biomolecular dynamics at membrane surfaces.