Quasi-one-dimensional Terahertz Phononic Band Gap in Phospholipid Tails

Terahertz quantized vibrational modes and quasi-one-dimensional terahertz phononic band gap in hydrocarbon tails of phospholipids are revealed through vibration calculation based on the ab initio density functional theory (DFT). We obtain the correlation between vibrational modes and frequencies. The phononic band gap in linear hydrocarbon chains provides a perspective in the interpretation of biochemical phenomena related to biological membranes, such as the photosynthetic energy transfer and the electron transport chain in the inner mitochondrial membrane.