https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2006-10054-8
Regular Article
Effect of an electric field on a floating lipid bilayer: A neutron reflectivity study
1
Institut Charles Sadron, UPR 22, CNRS-Université Louis Pasteur, 6 rue Boussingault, F-67083, Strasbourg Cedex, France
2
Institut Laue-Langevin, 6 rue Jules Horowitz, B.P. 156, F-38042, Grenoble Cedex, France
* e-mail: charitat@ics.u-strasbg.fr
Received:
6
September
2006
Accepted:
2
November
2006
Published online:
6
December
2006
We present here a neutron reflectivity study of the influence of an alternative electric field on a supported phospholipid double bilayer. We report for the first time a reproducible increase of the fluctuation amplitude leading to the complete unbinding of the floating bilayer. Results are in good agreement with a semi-quantitative interpretation in terms of negative electrostatic surface tension.
PACS: 87.16.Dg Membranes, bilayers, and vesicles – / 87.15.Ya Fluctuations – / 61.12.Ha Neutron reflectometry –
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag, 2006
