Improved stability of black lipid membranes by coating with polysaccharide derivatives bearing hydrophobic anchor groups

Abstract Black lipid membranes were coated with modified polysaccharides bearing hydrophobic palmitoyl and cholesteryl moieties. The changes in membrane structure were investigated using dipicrylamine, a lipophilic ion, as membrane probe. The kinetics of ion transport through the black lipid membranes were studied using the charge pulse relaxation technique. With this technique it was found that it is possible to detect the insertion of the hydrophobic anchor groups of the polysaccharides into the membrane bilayer. As a result of the surface coating, these membranes exhibit a drastically increased long-term stability.