Neutron reflectivity study of lipid membranes assembled on ordered nanocomposite and nanoporous silica thin films.
Single bilayer membranes of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) were formed on ordered nanocomposite and nanoporous silica thin films by fusion of small unilamellar vesicles. The structure of these membranes was investigated using neutron reflectivity. The underlying thin films were formed by evaporation induced self-assembly to obtain periodic arrangements of silica and surfactant molecules in the nanocomposite thin films, followed by photocalcination to oxidatively remove the organics and render the films nanoporous. We show that this platform affords homogeneous and continuous bilayer membranes that have promising applications as model membranes and sensors.
Doshi
Dhaval A
DA
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
Dattelbaum
Andrew M
AM
Watkins
Erik B
EB
Brinker
C Jeffrey
CJ
Swanson
Basil I
BI
Shreve
Andrew P
AP
Parikh
Atul N
AN
Majewski
Jaroslaw
J
D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009502:Neutrons; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*
D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D012822:Silicon Dioxide