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Updated: Jun 21, 2026
Measuring the Induced Membrane Voltage with Di-8-ANEPPS
Published on: November 19, 2009
Potential-modulated fluorescence spectroscopy of the membrane potential-sensitive dye di-4-ANEPPS at the
Toshiyuki Osakai1, Junpei Sawada, Hirohisa Nagatani
1Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan. osakai@kobe-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
The spectrofluorometric behavior of a membrane potential-sensitive dye, 1-(3-sulfonatopropyl)-4-[beta-{2-(di-N-butylamino)-6-naphthyl}vinyl]pyridinium betaine (di-4-ANEPPS), at the polarized 1,2-dichloroethane/water interface was studied by means of potential-modulated fluorescence (PMF) spectroscopy. The results, combined with those from cyclic and alternating current voltammetry, clearly suggested that the dye adsorbed at the interface underwent a reorientation with increasing the interfacial potential, giving a well-developed PMF response as well as a voltammetric response. In addition to the PMF response, another PMF response was observed by addition of dilauroyl phosphatidylcholine (DLPC). This additional response was well explained in terms of a reorientation of di-4-ANEPPS at the interface, which would be induced by the potential-dependent desorption of DLPC from the interface. Thus, the present study supported the reorientation/solvatochromic mechanism for the membrane potential-sensitive dye rather than the electrochromic mechanism.
