Effect of an electric field on a floating lipid bilayer: a neutron reflectivity study

TL;DR

This study uses neutron reflectivity to investigate how an alternating electric field affects a supported lipid bilayer, revealing that the field increases bilayer fluctuations and causes unbinding, explained by electrostatic surface tension effects.

Contribution

It is the first to demonstrate electric field-induced unbinding of a floating lipid bilayer through neutron reflectivity measurements.

Findings

Electric field increases bilayer fluctuation amplitude.

Reversible unbinding of the floating bilayer observed.

Results align with electrostatic surface tension theory.

Abstract

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.