Conducting polymer supported bilayer lipid membrane reconstituted with alamethicin

Abstract

Ionic electroactive polymers and bioderived materials have been independentlydemonstrated as actuators, sensors and energy harvesting devices. In an electroactivepolymer, the applied electric field between the cathode and anode drives ion transportbetween the electrodes, impregnated electrolyte and the bulk of the polymer to generateforce and displacement. Similarly, in a bioderived material an input stimulus (electrical,chemoelectrical or chemical) applied across the protein in a bilayer lipid membrane (BLM)displaces ions across the membrane barrier and enables sensing and actuationfunctions. This paper presents a novel architecture for a device that integratesthe ionic function of an electroactive polymer and a bioderived material into athin-film laminated device combining their unique advantages. A conducting polymer(PPy(DBS)) is used as the electroactive polymer and alamethicin-bound bilayer lipidmembrane is used as the bioderived material in the thin-film laminated device.Owing to the configuration of the laminated device, the protein regulates theionic concentration in the conducting polymer and regulates the electrochemicaldoping/undoping process in the polymer. By electrically connecting the conductingpolymer across its thickness, this arrangement provides a mechanism external tothe polymer besides electrical field that can control the electrical, mechanicaland/or optical properties of the conducting polymer. This paper also presents thefabrication and characterization of the integrated ionic device and presents atemplate for the development of a novel category of electroactive ionic devices.