BILAYER-LIPID MEMBRANES FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL SENSING

Bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs) are described as selective and sensitiv e electrochemical transducers for inorganic ions and organic species. The electrostatic properties of BLMs, which are significant in control ling ion permeation processes, and the possible mechanisms for signal generation are presented herein. Operation of a BLM-based transducer h inges on a selective interaction between analyte in aqueous solution a nd membrane-embedded receptors; as a result, the electrostatic fields and/or the physical phase structure of the membrane alters, leading to an analytical signal (most commonly conductivity changes) which can b e related to the analyte concentration. Examples of electrochemical se nsors based on this principle and efforts to stabilize these bilayer m embranes are presented in this review article.