The properties of lipid bilayers can often be strongly altered by the presence of low concentration additives. For example, recently developed conjugated oligo-electrolytes (COEs) are known to readily incorporate into cell membranes to dramatically increase electron transport across these membranes. This charge transport enhancement has been shown to enable a wide range of electrochemical applications, particularly in areas such as microbial fuel cells and water treatment. However, it remains poorly understood how additives like the COEs interact in phospholipid membranes to facilitate novel properties such as enhanced electron transport. Here we examine how COE incorporation and charge transport are influenced by COE solution concentration, as well as by phospholipid membrane properties such as fluidity and charge. The electrochemical properties were characterized using cyclic voltametry for COE-containing phospholipid membranes prepared with and without common cell membrane species (e.g., cholesterol, choline) that influence membrane fluidity and charge. It was found that the uptake of COE and its charge transport properties are modestly influenced by the COE solution concentration and by the membrane fluidity. In contrast, altering the charge of the phospholipid membrane strongly influences the electrochemical properties of the COE-containing membranes.<br/>

Effect of membrane structural dopants on charge transport through conjugated oligoelectrolyte modified phospholipid bilayers

249th National Meeting (2015)

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