Electrical manipulation of supported lipid membranes by embedded electrodes

Alkanethiol modified gold electrodes patterned over a silica surface provided a dual hydrophobic/hydrophilic surface suitable for phospholipid monolayer and bilayer formation over the alkylated gold and glass surfaces, respectively. The phospholipid monolayer and bilayer were connected, allowing free diffusion of lipids within both leaflets of the glass-supported bilayer over the alkanethiol/gold-to-glass interface. Application of large alternating current fields to these electrodes irreversibly switched the gold electrodes to diffusion barriers. Enclosure of the electrode devices within protein barriers revealed a resting state surface potential driven reorganization of the charged fluorescent probes. Application of lower magnitude direct current fields resulted in electrophoretic redistribution of the membrane probes and electro-osmotic reorganization of membrane associated proteins.