Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy for Real-Time Detection of Lipid Membrane Damage Based on a Porous Self-Assembly Monolayer Support

Anal Chem. 2018 Jun 19;90(12):7422-7427. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b00884. Epub 2018 Jun 1.

Abstract

Layer-by-layer dissolution and permeable pore formation are two typical membrane damage pathways, which induce membrane function disorder and result in serious disease, such as Alzheimer's disease, Keshan disease, Sickle-cell disease, and so on. To effectively distinguish and sensitively monitor these two typical membrane damage pathways, a facile electrochemical impedance strategy was developed on a porous self-assembly monolayer (pSAM) supported bilayer lipid membrane (BLM). The pSAM was prepared by selectively electrochemical reductive desorption of the mercaptopropionic acid in a mixed mercaptopropionic acid/11-mercaptoundecanoic acid self-assembled monolayer, which created plenty of nanopores with tens of nanometers in diameter and several nanometers in height (defined as inner-pores). The ultralow aspect ratio of the inner-pores was advantageous to the mass transfer of electrochemical probe [Fe(CN)6]3-/4-, simplifying the equivalent electric circuit for electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis at the electrode/membrane interface. [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- transferring from the bulk solution into the inner-pore induce significant changes of the interfacial impedance properties, improving the detection sensitivity. Based on these, the different membrane damage pathways were effectively distinguished and sensitively monitored with the normalized resistance-capacitance changes of inner-pore-related parameters including the electrolyte resistance within the pore length ( Rpore) and the metal/inner-pore interfacial capacitance ( Cpore) and the charge-transfer resistance ( Rct-in) at the metal/inner-pore interface.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Dielectric Spectroscopy / methods*
  • Electric Capacitance
  • Electrolytes / pharmacology
  • Fatty Acids
  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Membrane Lipids
  • Membranes / pathology*
  • Nanopores
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds

Substances

  • 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid
  • Electrolytes
  • Fatty Acids
  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Membrane Lipids
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds