Effect of interleaflet friction on the dynamics of molecular rotors in lipid membranes

Molecular rotors form twisted conformations upon photoexcitation, with their fluorescent relaxation time serving as a measure of viscosity. They have been used to assess membrane viscosities but yield higher values compared to other methods. Here, we show that the rotor's relaxation time is influenced by a combination of membrane viscosity and interleaflet friction. We present a theory for the relaxation time and obtain a correction factor that accounts for the discrepancy. If the membrane's viscosity is known, molecular rotors may enable the extraction of the elusive interleaflet friction.