ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the basic features of certain standard techniques for phospholipid research and explains different physical characteristics of phospholipid systems and some guidelines for the best choice of corresponding experimental methods. X-ray diffraction remains the principal technique for studying single crystal phospholipid samples, although electron diffraction has also been usefully employed for some lipid systems. One of the disadvantages of the latter method is that it requires a vacuum and hence is unsuitable for studying hydrated phases. The chapter discusses laboratory based x-ray diffraction equipment, which is well adapted to routine identification and structural study of lipid phases. The study of lyotropic phases of lipids by diffraction requires a number of special features in the apparatus. When performing light scattering experiments with phospholipid suspensions, it should be kept in mind that the scattered light intensity increases with the sixth power of the vesicle radius.
