This article reviews our approaches for designing fluorinated lipid liquid–crystal membranes suitable for biomaterials such as membrane protein reconstitution matrices. We proposed several partially fluorinated fatty acids as well as phospholipids bearing long (C18) hydrophobic chains comparable to biomembrane lipids. The fatty acids and/or phospholipids containing perfluoroalkyl group was easily synthesized in good yields. Judging from the collapse (equilibrium spreading) pressures of the proposed fatty aids and/or phospholipids at the air–water interface, the partial fluorination of hydrophobic chains was enough to improve their monolayer stability. The fluorinated phospholipid with C–C triple bonds formed flexible structures such as stable vesicles in water at a room temperature. The partially fluorinated phospholipids are applicable to protein reconstitution matrices, e.g., reconstitution of photosynthetic membrane proteins.
