Non-mediated zero voltage conductance of hydrophobic ions through bilayer lipid membranes

A charge pulse technique applied to the study of charge transfer at metal-solution interfaces has been used to determine the capacity and the conductance of a membrane bilayer at both zero time and zero voltage. The transport of hydrophobic ions across a glycerol-monooleate bilayer (tetraphenyl borate, picrate, dipicrylamine and tetraphenyl arsonium) has been investigated by this method. A theoretical approach to the problem has been proposed based on one analogous to that used for the compact double layer at metallic electrodes.