Abstract
We have studied the phase transitions of a phospholipidic single-bilayer supported on a mica substrate by real-time temperature-controlled atomic force microscopy. We show the existence of two phase transitions in this bilayer that we attribute to two gel (L(beta))/fluid (L(alpha)) transitions, corresponding to the independent melting of each leaflet of the bilayer. The ratio of each phase with temperature and the large broadening of the transitions' widths have been interpreted through a basic thermodynamic framework in which the surface tension varies during the transitions. The experimental data can be fit with such a model using known thermodynamic parameters.