Self-healing of bilayer lipid membranes formed over silicon substrates with a single pore

M. Austin Creasy; David Hopkinson; Donald J. Leo

doi:10.1117/12.776375

2 April 2008 Self-healing of bilayer lipid membranes formed over silicon substrates with a single pore

M. Austin Creasy, David Hopkinson, Donald J. Leo

Proceedings Volume 6929, Behavior and Mechanics of Multifunctional and Composite Materials 2008; 69290P (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.776375
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2008, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Recent results have demonstrated that lipid bilayers have the ability to "self-heal" after mechanical failure. In a previous study the maximum pressure that could be withstood by a bilayer lipid membrane (BLM) formed over a porous substrate was measured and reported. This paper expands on this subject by exploring the ability of a BLM to spontaneously "self-heal" or reform after having been pressurized until failure. A 1-Stearoyl-2-Oleoyl-sn-Glycero-3-Phosphocholine (SOPC) BLM is reconstituted over a silicon substrate that contains a single square aperture (25 x 25 μm) and is pressurized until failure. It is found that the BLM spontaneously reforms multiple times over the aperture after the initial failure. For each experiment the BLM is subjected to several pressurization cycles with a 70 mV potential applied across the BLM. The current is measured using an impedance analyzer and indicates the presence of a BLM formed over the aperture. It is found that electrical current conducted across the BLM increases from approximately 100 pA to 650 nA during each BLM failure and returns to 100 pA after BLM reformation. These results demonstrate that the bilayer is reforming because the electrical resistance across the aperture is increasing by several orders of magnitude.

Citation Download Citation

M. Austin Creasy, David Hopkinson, and Donald J. Leo "Self-healing of bilayer lipid membranes formed over silicon substrates with a single pore", Proc. SPIE 6929, Behavior and Mechanics of Multifunctional and Composite Materials 2008, 69290P (2 April 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.776375

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