K. Tantawi, Y. Musa
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga,
United States
Keywords: electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, capacitance, resistance, lipid bilayer membranes
Summary:
In this work we present an analysis of the recent advances in the determination of the electrophysiology of biological lipid membranes. Research studies show a strong correlation between the electrochemical response of the lipid bilayer membranes and the composition of the headgroups and acyl chain lengths. However, due to many challenges including the formation of lipid bilayer membranes, electrochemical interaction with support structures, and methods of formation, published research works show stark differences in readings that can be as high as several orders of magnitude. Current reseearch trends focus on the effect of asymmetry of the LBM leaflets and the saturated to unsaturated fatty acid composition on the electrical response of the lipid bilayers.