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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film
Published on: July 10, 2016
Hybrid materials from amphiphilic block copolymers and membrane proteins
Corinne Nardin1, Wolfgang Meier
1Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Universität Basel, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Self-assembly of reactive amphiphilic block copolymers is used to prepare nanostructured hydrogels with exceptional permeability properties, vesicular structures and planar, freestanding membranes in aqueous solution. Although the underlying block copolymer membranes are two-three-fold thicker than conventional lipid bilayers, they can be regarded as mimetic of biological membranes and can be used as a matrix for membrane-spanning proteins. Surprisingly, the proteins remain functional, despite the extreme thickness of the membranes and even after polymerization of the reactive block copolymers. The unique combination of block copolymers with membrane proteins allows the preparation of mechanically stable, defect-free membranes and nanocapsules that have highly selective permeability and/or specific recognition sites. This is documented by some representative examples.
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