A Monte Carlo simulation study of lipid bilayer formation on hydrophilic substrates from vesicle solutions

A general lattice Monte Carlo model is used for simulating the formation of supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) from vesicle solutions. The model, based on a previously published paper, consists of adsorption, decomposition, and lateral diffusion steps, and is derived from fundamental physical interactions and mass transport principles. The Monte Carlo simulation results are fit to experimental data at different vesicle bulk concentrations. A sensitivity analysis reveals that the process strongly depends on the bulk concentration C(0), adsorption rate constant K, and all vesicle radii parameters. A measure of "quality of coverage" is proposed. By this measure, the quality of the formed bilayers is found to increase with vesicle bulk concentration.