Publications Details
Thin-film silica sol-gels doped with ion responsive fluorescent lipid bilayers
A metal ion sensitive, fluorescent lipid-bilayer material (5% PSIDA/DSPC) was successfully immobilized in a silica matrix using a tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) sol-gel procedure. The sol-gel immobilization method was quantitative in the entrapment of self-assembled lipid-bilayers and yielded thin films for facile configuration to optical fiber platforms. The silica matrix was compatible with the solvent sensitive lipid bilayers and provided physical stabilization as well as biological protection. Immobilization in the silica sol-gel produced an added benefit of improving the bilayer's metal ion sensitivity by up to two orders of magnitude. This enhanced performance was attributed to a preconcentrator effect from the anionic surface of the silica matrix. Thin gels (193 micron thickness) were coupled to a bifurcated fiber optic bundle to produce a metal ion sensor probe. Response times of 10 - 15 minutes to 0.1 M CuCl2 were realized with complete regeneration of the sensor using an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) solution.