Hybrid Bilayer Research Articles

Intrinsically conductive polymers hybrid bilayer films for the fluorescence molecular diagnosis of the Zika virus

In 2016, the Zika virus (ZIKV) infection became a major public health problem, after the discovery that an alarming increase in the number of Brazilian newborns with microcephaly could be associated with the occurrence of this viral disease during the pregnancy of their mothers. The urgent need for simple diagnostic methods that allow rapid screening of suspected cases has stimulated the search for low-cost devices capable of detecting specific sequences of nucleic acids. The present work describes the development of nanostructured films formed by bilayers of conjugated polymers for rapid detection of the presence of Zika virus DNA, via fluorescence methods. For this, we initially deposited alternating layers of polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPY) on the surface of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheets. The films obtained were then characterized by SEM, UV-Vis, ATR-FTIR, and contact angle measurements. For their use as quenchers for the diagnosis of Zika, a single DNA strand-specific for ZIKV was labeled with a fluorophore (FAM-ssDNA). We determined the time required for the saturation of the interaction between probe FAM-ssDNA and the film (180 min) and the time for the maximal hybridization between FAM-ssDNA and target DNA to occur (60 min). The detection limits were estimated as 345 pM and 278 pM for the PET/PPY-PANI and PET/PANI-PPY hybrid films, respectively. The simplicity of the procedure, coupled with the fact that a positive/negative response can be obtained in less than 60 min, suggests that the proposal of using these polymeric bilayer films is a promising methodology for the development of rapid molecular diagnostic tests.

Electrospinning and 3D printed hybrid bi-layer scaffold for guided bone regeneration

The guided bone regeneration (GBR) concept has been extensively utilized to treat periodontal defects in clinical practice. However, the repair efficacy of the currently available GBR membranes is often compromised by their limited alveolar bone regeneration potential, insufficient mechanical strength and inadequate space maintenance duration. In this paper, a novel hybrid bi-layer scaffold was fabricated using electrospun polycaprolactone/gelatine (PCL/Gel) nanofibre membranes combined with 3D printed PCL/Gel/nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) scaffolds. Their manipulation parameters and microstructures were investigated, and biological studies of in vitro and in vivo bone regeneration were carried out. The heparin-conjugated PCL/Gel fibrous membrane could significantly promote L929 fibroblast adhesion and proliferation. The PCL/Gel/n-HA (PGH) scaffold could promote attachment, growth and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. After 20 weeks, the defect sites in the hybrid bi-layer scaffold group showed a higher degree of new bone formation than that in the control group, indicating that this is a promising material combination for GBR.

Modelling of transport properties of perfluorinated one- and bilayer membranes modified by polyaniline decorated clay nanotubes

Several single- and bilayer sulfocationite membranes MF-4SC modified by PANI-halloysite nanotubes are manufactured utilizing dimethylformamide as a solvent and applying two different methods: airbrushing and casting. Electrical conductivity, diffusion permeability, current-voltage curves are examined for the produced nanocomposite single- and bilayer membranes. It is shown that hybrid bilayer perfluorinated sulfocationic membranes demonstrate the asymmetry of transport properties in dependence on their orientation towards the counterions’ flux. The introduction of PANI-halloysite into the perfluorinated matrix of the MF-4SC membrane leads, in some samples, to decrease in diffusion permeability and in an increase in conductivity, without substantial change in the limiting current density. Comparing the theoretically calculated quantities, like the integral coefficient of diffusion permeability, specific electrical conductivity and the limiting current density in dependence on electrolyte concentration to their experimental values for studied samples, we have found the physicochemical parameters of one- and bilayer cation-exchange perfluorinated membranes modified with PANI-halloysite nanotubes in order to predict their transport properties upon changing the external conditions. This is important for evaluation of capability of the separating membranes in low-temperature fuel cells and electrical devices, like sensors and diodes.

Robust and rapid responsive organic-inorganic hybrid bilayer hydrogel actuators with silicon nanoparticles as the cross-linker

Hydrogel actuators belong to a type of smart soft materials which can take place anisotropic thrust and/or displacement under various environmental stimuli including thermal, light, pH, humidity etc. Robust strength and rapid response are of critical importance to high-performance hydrogel actuators. Here we report the syntheses and investigations of mechanical properties for series novel organic-inorganic hydrogels by using vinyl functionalized silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) as the cross-linker. The doped SiNPs significantly enhance the mechanical strength of polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogels. Furthermore, the SiNPs composite poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAm) hydrogels exhibit rapid response in deswelling and swelling behaviours. The excellent mechanical and responsive properties are attributed to the enhanced rigidity via SiNPs doping into the hydrogel network and the improved water diffusion through mPEG branch chains on the surface of nanoparticles, respectively. As a proof of concept, a bilayer PNIPAm@PAAm hydrogel actuator is facilely synthesized via an in-situ polymerization process. This composite hydrogel actuator shows extremely fast response rate of directional bending in hot water, about 6 times faster than the control without doping of SiNPs. This work demonstrates that these SiNPs composite hydrogels provide enhanced mechanical and responsive performances and may expand the future applications in smart hydrogel materials.

A subwavelength high modulation depth optical modulator based on bilayer graphene

In this paper, a waveguide-integrated graphene-based modulator at 1550 nm is presented, which consists of a hybrid waveguide and bilayer graphene. The strong light absorption of graphene is realized by inserting bilayer graphene into the mode coupling region of the hybrid waveguide and simultaneously taking advantage of SPPs effect as well as the electric field enhancement in the coupling region. The modulator shows excellent performance including 100% modulation depth, low power dissipation of 0.074 fJ/bit, small device size of 600 nm × 350 nm × 350 nm and wide 3 dB bandwidth of 319 GHz. In addition, results proved that the presented modulator is robust and its properties are quite tolerant to fabrication errors. These excellent properties make our proposal have great potential in application of optoelectronic integrated circuit.

A compositionally synergistic approach for the development of a multifunctional bilayer scaffold with antibacterial property for infected and chronic wounds

The increased complexity of the healing process and interplay of various pathological factors in cutaneous wounds, in particular, chronic wounds, entails a meticulous and spatiotemporally sufficient treatment to accomplish successful therapy. Here, we have developed the hybrid bilayer scaffold system using cryogelation and electrospinning techniques to closely resemble the native three-dimensional architecture of skin. The bilayer scaffold involves curcumin dextran nanoparticles (CDNp) and cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2) loaded gelatin cryogel layer and polyvinyl alcohol-poly (vinyl pyrrolidone)-iodine-potassium iodide (PPI-KI) electrospun fibrous layer towards the outer side. The developed scaffold exhibited high water uptake capability, degradation and hemocompatibility besides showing sustained and prolonged release of CDNp (65% ± 2.61 in 120 h) and iodine (66.47% ± 2.073 in 72 h). The in-vitro studies of bilayer scaffold, cryogels and electrospun sheet demonstrated enhanced cell viability and accelerated cell migration apart from displaying a strong antioxidant and antibacterial activity. The developed scaffolds elucidated a faster-wound closure rate in the in-vivo wound model in comparison to commercially available dressing and other groups. Further, in the infected wound model, the bilayer scaffold prevented wound infection and showed rapid and efficient healing of wounds. The developed dressing was observed to promote mature epithelialization with ample hair growth and increased deposition of mature collagen. Thus, the novel synergistic approach can remarkably provide new insights for the design of advanced and multifunctional wound dressing with potential application in accelerating the healing of cutaneous wounds.

Hybrid bilayer membranes on metallurgical polished aluminum

In this work we describe the functionalization of metallurgically polished aluminum surfaces yielding biomimetic electrodes suitable for probing protein/phospholipid interactions. The functionalization involves two simple steps: silanization of the aluminum and subsequent fusion of multilamellar vesicles which leads to the formation of a hybrid bilayer lipid membrane (hBLM). The vesicle fusion was followed in real-time by fast Fourier transform electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (FFT EIS). The impedance-derived complex capacitance of the hBLMs was approximately 0.61 µF cm−2, a value typical for intact phospholipid bilayers. We found that the hBLMs can be readily disrupted if exposed to > 400 nM solutions of the pore-forming peptide melittin. However, the presence of cholesterol at 40% (mol) in hBLMs exhibited an inhibitory effect on the membrane-damaging capacity of the peptide. The melittin-membrane interaction was concentration dependent decreasing with concentration. The hBLMs on Al surface can be regenerated multiple times, retaining their dielectric and functional properties essentially intact.

Preparation and optimization of heterojunction donor(DLC) – acceptor(SI) as a solar cell by DFT and PLD

Hybrid bilayer heterojunction (DLC) thin-film P-type as an active donor layer and (Si) thin-film n-type as an acceptor with (Electron Transport Layer ), were fabricated using Qswitching Nd-YAG Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) method under vacuum condition 10-3 torr on two electrodes for (AL) Aluminum material is used to construct the hydride bilayer heterojunction photovoltaic solar cell (PVSC). The electrical properties of hybrid heterojunction Al / DLC / SI / AL thin film were studied. The result showed the voltage of open circuit (Vm=0.145V ), a short circuit (Jm=9.3mA/cm2 ), and the fill factor (FF) of (0.4709), with Xenon lamp with an intensity (235mw/cm2 ), the conversion efficiency (η=3.54%) at thickness(75nm). While the theoretical calculations and optimization of the HETEROJUNCTION confirmed the possibility of using it as a successful solar cell, the calculation of the small energy gap and thus the high electrical conductivity, and the determination of the type of charge carriers(p), as well as some electronic properties such as electrostatic potential surfaces and 3-D electron density, hardness, softness and electrophilicity, were clarified.

Acetylcholinesterase sensor based on PANi/rGO film electrochemically grown on screen‐printed electrodes

AbstractIn this work, the polyaniline/reduced graphene oxide (PANi/rGO) bilayer was directly electrodeposited on carbon screen‐printed electrodes (SPE). Some details in growth of PANi/rGO bilayer were revealed from cyclic voltammograms and X‐ray photoelectron spectra. The growth of stacked rGO film at high compactness on the electrode surface is mainly accompanied with reduction of epoxy functional groups at basal planes of graphitic flakes. The as‐grown rGO layer with abundent hydroxyl functional groups at basal planes is preferable to attract intrinsic fibrillar‐like PANi polymer chains in protonated aqueous media. The as‐prepared PANi/rGO hybrid bilayer has shown good conductivity, high porosity, good adhesion to biomolecules, and fast electron transfer rate (increased by 3.8 times). Herein, PANi/rGO film has been further utilized to develop disposable acetylcholinesterase sensors able to detect acetylthiocholine (ATCh) with apparent Michaelis ‐ Menten constant of 0.728 mM. These sensors provide a very promising technical solution for in‐situ monitoring acetylthiocholine level in patients with neuro‐diseases and determination of neuro‐toxins such as sarin and pesticides.

Proton Removal Kinetics That Govern the Hydrogen Peroxide Oxidation Activity of Heterogeneous Bioinorganic Platforms.

Precise regulation of proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) rates holds the key to simultaneously optimizing the turnover frequency and product selectivity of redox reactions that are central to the realization of renewable energy schemes in a sustainable future. In this work, a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of a Ru complex electrografted onto a glassy carbon (GC) electrode was prepared as a heterogeneous electrocatalytic interface to facilitate the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) oxidation half-cell reaction of a direct hydrogen peroxide/hydrogen peroxide fuel cell. A functional lipid membrane embedded with catalytic amounts of proton carriers was appended on top of the Ru SAM to construct a hybrid bilayer membrane (HBM) platform that can modulate the thermodynamics and kinetics of proton- and electron-transfer steps independently. The performances of the as-prepared Ru SAMs and HBMs toward H2O2 oxidation were investigated using electrochemical means, kinetic isotope effect (KIE) studies, and Tafel analyses. Proton carriers featuring borate, phosphate, and nitrile headgroups were found to dictate the transmembrane proton removal rate, thereby controlling the H2O2 oxidation activity. The first significance of this work was the expansion of HBM platforms to GC substrates to overcome the limited redox potential window on gold thiol systems, thereby enabling electrochemical investigations of anodic reactions at the SAM-lipid interface. The second highlight of this work was demonstrating for the first time that deprotonation kinetics can be taken advantage of to enhance the electrocatalytic oxidation performance of a metal complex anchored at the SAM-lipid interface of a HBM platform. When the knowledge gaps regarding how PCET steps govern redox pathways are closed, the advances achieved using our unique bioinorganic platform are envisioned to accelerate the understanding and optimization of electrocatalytic processes involving proton- and electron- transfer steps that are fundamental to the development of high-performance energy devices.

Bioinorganic Platforms for Sensing, Biomimicry, and Energy Catalysis

Bioinorganic chemistry is a broad field with multiple branches. In this Highlight Review, the newest excitements in the branch of Bioinorganic Platforms are reviewed. Artificial bioinorganic platforms come in mesmerizing flavors, in particular the following 5 types are the major focus of this Highlight Review. First, single-stranded and double-stranded DNA, RNA, PNA, and their hybrids can be attached to Au electrodes for in vitro biosensing purposes as well as real-time monitoring of DNA repair processes via magnetoelectrochemistry. Second, Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms can be grown into interdigitated array (IDA) electrodes to investigate electron transport mechanisms in vivo. Third, protein films can be formed on glassy carbon (GC) electrodes to examine the effect of electrostatics on the redox behavior of metalloenzymes. Fourth, lipid-covered hybrid bilayer membrane (HBM) systems can be constructed to control the thermodynamics and kinetics of proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) steps important to renewable energy schemes. Fifth, metal complexes can be physisorbed onto highly porous carbon powder as facile oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts.

Improvement of the electronic and transport properties of hybrid bilayer armchair graphene nanoribbon by chemical derivation and out-layer strain: A first principles calculations

We investigate the effect of out-layer strain on the electronic and transport properties of chemically functionalized hybrid b-AGNR systems, which are formed by partial hydrogenation and fluorination (or hydrofluorination) in the middle parts of bilayer armchair graphene nanoribbon, using density functional theory and nonequilibrium Green's function techniques. The calculated formation energies show that all hybrid systems have negative formation energies, thus, they are stable with respect to molecular desorption. Especially, the fluorinated hybrid system is more stable than others, due to higher electronegativity of F than H atoms. From calculated band structures, we reveal that the hybrid systems are the semiconductors with band gaps of about 0.09 eV ~ 1.55 eV as function of nanoroad width and out-layer strain. Especially, the band gaps of the hybrid systems with nanoroad width show the order of 3-nanoroad > 5-nanoroad > 1-nanoroad. The calculated I-V curves exhibit that the currents of the hybrid systems as a function of chemical derivation classes increase/decrease with different behavior, while they have similar behavior variations according to out-layer strain. More interestingly, the calculated I-V curves of hybrid b-AFGANR-1-nanoroad system as a function of out-layer strain exhibit negative differential resistance within bias voltage range 0.6 V to 1 V. Prime novelty statementIn this paper, we investigate the effect of out-layer strain on the electronic and transport properties of chemically functionalized hybrid b-AGNR systems, which are formed by partial hydrogenation and fluorination (or hydrofluorination) in the middle parts of bilayer armchair graphene nanoribbon, using density functional theory and nonequilibrium Green's function techniques.The results present that all systems are structurally favorable and are semiconductors with band gaps of about 0.09 eV ~ 1.55 eV as function of nanoroad width and out-layer strain. Especially, the I-V curves of hybrid b-AFGANR-1-nanoroad system as a function of out-layer strain exhibit negative differential resistance within bias voltage range 0.6 V to 1 V.The above results show that hybrid b-AGNR systems would be a promising material for graphene-based electronic devices.

The inverse proximity effect in strong ferromagnet–superconductor structures

The magnetization in a superconductor induced due to the inverse proximity effect is investigated in hybrid bilayers containing a superconductor and a ferromagnetic insulator or a strongly spin-polarized ferromagnetic metal. The study is performed within a quasiclassical Green function framework, wherein Usadel equations are solved with boundary conditions appropriate for strongly spin-polarized ferromagnetic materials. A comparison with recent experimental data is presented. The singlet to triplet conversion of the superconducting correlations as a result of the proximity effect with a ferromagnet is studied.

Co-doping optimized hydrogel-elastomer micro-actuators for versatile biomimetic motions.

Hydrogels can respond to changes in humidity or temperature, while elastomers can resist structural collapse due to dehydration or external force application. A hybrid bilayer of hydrogel-elastomers while retaining the merits of both the hydrogels and elastomers has emerged as a promising stimuli-responsive micro-actuator. However, the preparation of a hydrogel-elastomer micro-actuator requires multiple steps, mainly due to the differences in the surface properties of these two materials. Among them, the steps to surface-treat the elastomer and functionalize the material of each layer involve intricate processes and excessive consumption of resources. In this work, we introduce a co-doping method to optimize the preparation of a stimuli-responsive hydrogel-elastomer micro-actuator. The surface treatment and functionalization processes are combined into one step by directly doping the polymerization initiator and functional nanomaterials into the hybrid bilayer. The thermo-responsive hydrogel is combined with a photothermal elastomer to fabricate a soft micro-actuator that can bend and unbend in response to changes in humidity and light. Based on this actuator, a set of biomimetic soft micro-robots were developed, demonstrating a series of motions, such as grabbing, crawling, and jumping. This strategy of stimuli-responsive micro-actuator preparation can benefit the hydrogel-elastomer hybrid micro-robot designs for applications ranging from self-locomotive robots in environmental monitoring to drug delivery in biomedical engineering.

Tuning the band gap and carrier concentration of titania films grown by spatial atomic layer deposition: a precursor comparison.

Spatial atomic layer deposition retains the advantages of conventional atomic layer deposition: conformal, pinhole-free films and excellent control over thickness. Additionally, it allows higher deposition rates and is well-adapted to depositing metal oxide nanofilms for photovoltaic cells and other devices. This study compares the morphological, electrical and optical properties of titania thin films deposited by spatial atomic layer deposition from titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) and titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) over the temperature range 100–300 °C, using the oxidant H2O. Amorphous films were deposited at temperatures as low as 100 °C from both precursors: the approach is suitable for applying films to temperature-sensitive devices. An amorphous-to-crystalline transition temperature was observed for both precursors resulting in surface roughening, and agglomerates for TiCl4. Both precursors formed conformal anatase films at 300 °C, with growth rates of 0.233 and 0.153 nm s−1 for TiCl4 and TTIP. A drawback of TiCl4 use is the HCl by-product, which was blamed for agglomeration in the films. Cl contamination was the likely cause of band gap narrowing and higher defect densities compared to TTIP-grown films. The carrier concentration of the nanofilms was found to increase with deposition temperature. The films were tested in hybrid bilayer solar cells to demonstrate their appropriateness for photovoltaic devices.

4-Pentenoyl-isoleucyl-chitosan oligosaccharide and acrylamide functional monomer-dependent hybrid bilayer molecularly imprinted membrane for sensitive electrochemical sensing of bisphenol A.

In this work, an electrochemical sensor was designed for trace monitoring of bisphenol A (BPA) by decorating a hybrid bilayer molecularly imprinted membrane (MIM) on a multi-walled carbon nanotube-modified glassy carbon electrode. When BPA in the MIM was eluted, a composite molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor was constructed. Under optimal conditions, the developed sensor showed two linear relationships between ΔIp and BPA concentration in the range of 0.04 μM to 8 μM, as well as good selectivity and stability, and was also applied to detect BPA in water samples with desirable recoveries ranging from 92.0% to 107.0%.

Tunable and sizeable band gaps in strained SiC3/hBN vdW heterostructures: A potential replacement for graphene in future nanoelectronics

In this work, we perform first-principles density functional theory calculations to study siligraphene (SiC3)/hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) vdW-heterostructures. Siligraphene has comparable electronic properties to graphene, including the presence of a Dirac-like cone, thus we investigate its potential as a replacement for graphene. We find that, when internal strains induced by the high lattice mismatch between the SiC3 and hBN layers are reduced, a very small and non-tunable gap is induced in a hybrid bilayer heterostructure. However, the picture becomes quite different when structures with higher internal strains are considered. In this scenario, the compressive strain induces a buckling in the SiC3 sheet, resulting in larger band gaps. Additionally, in many configurations, the gaps are found to be quite tunable by the application of external strains or an electrical field. Such tunability is absent in graphene/hBN heterostructures, thus giving SiC3/hBN heterostructures a clear edge. The origin of this gap and its tunability are discussed in terms of the buckling in the SiC3 layer and the interlayer charge transfer. Finally, the optical properties of these heterostructures were also investigated. Strong absorption peaks in both visible and deep UV regions were found, which could be explored for applications in future optoelectronic devices.

Hybrid Bilayer Heterojunction Al/ZnPc/ZnO /ITO Thin Films Solar Cell Prepared by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Hybrid bilayer heterojunction Zinc Phthalocyanine (ZnPc) thin-film P-type is considered as a donor active layer as well as the Zinc Oxide (ZnO) thin film n-type is considered as an acceptor with (Electron Transport Layer). In this study, using the technique of Q-switching Nd-YAG Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) under vacuum condition 10-3 torr on two ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) and (AL) electrodes and aluminum, is used to construct the hydride bilayer photovoltaic solar cell heterojunction (PVSC). The electrical properties of hybrid heterojunction Al/ZnPc/ZnO/ITO thin film are studied. The results show that the voltage of open circuit (V_oc=0.567V), a short circuit (I_sc=36 ?A), and the fill factor (FF) of 0.443. In addition, the conversion efficiency of (n=3.4%) is recorded with Xenon lamp with an intensity 235mw/cm2 .

One-dimensional micro-scale patterned conjugated polymer structures in bilayer architecture and light emitting diode application

To maximize luminescent brightness in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) systems, charge transport dynamics of emissive layer is needed to be controlled. Herein, we pattern aligned micrometer scale conjugated polymer structures using a solution based processing method. Super yellow (SY)-polyethylene oxide (PEO) nanofibers were electrospun using simple uniaxial electrospinning method. A hybrid bilayer of SY-PEO fiber and poly (9,9-dioctylfluorene) derivative PFO film was formed by the sequential deposition of the electrospun fiber and spin-coated film. The maximum brightness of hybrid LED devices was increased over 1.7 fold to that of film-film bilayer device possessing same average film thickness. Besides, optical properties such as absorption/luminescence of SY were modulated by the rapid crystallization and solvent evaporation during electrospinning process compared to the spin-coated film. The electroluminescence enhancement and color control was attributed to balanced charge transport and enhanced Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). A patterned hybrid bilayer was formed by the combination of the SY-PEO fiber and PFO thin film via solution based sequential deposition methods, including electrospinning and spin-coating. Thanks to the molecular packing and increment of conjugation length in electrospun SY-PEO nanofibers, such nanofibers exhibited distinct optical properties in comparison with SY thin film. Micro-dimensional alignment of conjugated polymer fiber-film bilayer device exhibited superior electroluminescent brightness besides color tunability of constructed LED device. Such enhancements were attributed to balanced charge transport and enhanced Förster resonance energy transfer in fiber-film hybrid emissive bilayer. • Aligned conjugated polymer fibers by electrospinning process. • Electrospun super yellow -polyethylene oxide nanofibers. • One-dimensional conjugated polymer microstructures in fiber-film hybrid bilayer architecture. • Utilization of conjugated polymer nanofibers in light emitting devices.

Supported polymer/lipid hybrid bilayers formation resembles a lipid-like dynamic by reducing the molecular weight of the polymer

Amphiphilic block copolymers form self-assembled bilayers even in combination with phospholipids. They represent an attractive alternative to native lipid-based membrane systems for supported bilayer formation with applications in biomedical research, sensoring and drug delivery. Their enhanced stability and excellent mechanical properties are linked to their higher molecular weight which generates thicker bilayers. Hypothesis: It is hypothesized that reducing the molecular weight of the polymer facilitates the formation of a thinner, more homogeneous polymer/lipid hybrid bilayer which would benefit the formation of supported bilayers on silicon oxide. Experiment: We investigated hybrid bilayers composed of mixtures of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine and increasing amounts of a low molecular weight polybutadiene-b-polyethylene oxide copolymer (1050 g/mol). By assessing the bilayer thickness and the molecular packing behavior we sought to demonstrate how reducing the polymer molecular weight increases the tendency to form supported hybrid bilayers in a lipid-like manner. Findings: The formation of a supported hybrid bilayers occurs at polymer contents <70 mol% in a lipid-like fashion and is proportional to the cohesive forces between the bilayer components and inversely related to the bilayer hydrophobic core thickness and the extended brush regime of the PEGylated polymeric headgroup.