Definition
The critical micelle concentration (CMC) can be approximately defined as the lipid monomer concentration at which appreciable amounts (>5% of total) of micellar aggregates first begin to appear in the equilibrium: nM1<=>Mn
CMC Values
| Lipid | CMC (mM) |
| 5:0 PC | 90 |
| 6:0 PC | 15 |
| 7:0 PC | 1.4 |
| 8:0 PC | 0.27 |
| 9:0 PC | 0.029 |
| 10:0 PC | 0.005 |
| 12:0 PC | 90 nM |
| 14:0 PC | 6 nM |
| 16:0 PC | 0.46 nM |
| 8:0 PG | 1.21 |
| 10:0 PG | 0.42 |
| 12:0 PG | 0.13 |
| 14:0 PG | 0.011 |
| 4:0 PS (5mM Ca2+)† | 4 |
| 5:0 PS (5mM Ca2+)† | 2 |
| 6:0 PS (5mM Ca2+)† | 1.2 |
| 7:0 PS (5mM Ca2+)† | 0.8 |
| 8:0 PS (5mM Ca2+)† | 0.4 |
| 8:0 PS | 2.282 |
| 10:0 PS | 0.096 |
| 8:0 Lyso PC | 60 |
| 10:0 Lyso PC | 6-8 |
| 12:0 Lyso PC | 0.4-0.9 |
| 14:0 Lyso PC | 0.043-0.090 |
| 16:0 Lyso PC | 4-8.3 µM |
| 18:0 Lyso PC | 0.4 µM |
† Data provided by Dr. Rinku Majumder, Department of Biochemistry, The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.
Lipid Acronyms Key
PC = phosphatidylcholine PG = phosphatidylglycerol PS = phosphatidylserine
CMC’s were determined in house by using a Pyrene Fluorescence technique or were obtained from the literature. Many of the literature values were confirmed by our in-house method.
The method is generally outlined by: Fluorescent Probes For Critical Micelle Concentration.
References
Handbook of Lipid Bilayers by Derek Marsh. ISBN 0849332559. CRC Press, Inc.