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Specific Capacitance of Metal Supported Lipid Membranes
Author(s) -
Passechnik Victor I.,
Hianik Tibor,
Ivanov Sergey A.,
Sivak Branislav
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
electroanalysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1521-4109
pISSN - 1040-0397
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1521-4109(199804)10:5<295::aid-elan295>3.0.co;2-7
Subject(s) - bilayer , monolayer , lipid bilayer , capacitance , metal , electrolyte , membrane , materials science , chemical physics , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , nanotechnology , electrode , chromatography , metallurgy , biochemistry
A model for the structure of supported bilayer lipid membranes (s‐BLM) is assumed based on the measurement of specific capacitance, electrostriction and surface potential of the s‐BLM formed on the tip of freshly cut Teflon or polymer coated stainless steel wire and of the electrolyte‐metal interface, depending on the frequency of AC voltage. We have shown that s‐BLM does not represent a continuous bilayer on a metal support. Its structure is like that of a continuous monolayer, three layers, or in certain case, also like that of a bilayer interrupted by ‘islands’ of metal support. The former ones are characterized by a smaller resistance in comparison with a lipid bilayer and with specific capacitance 20–50 times higher than that of conventional, free standing BLM. The assumed model allows us to understand the nature of a number of effects observed on s‐BLM, particularly the behavior of current fluctuations. The nature of current fluctuations can be easily explained by fluctuations of the size of the ‘islands’ both towards increase and/or decrease of their diameter due to removal and/or appearance of new lipid molecules on a metal support.