Volume 30, Issue 2 p. 207-219
Review

Model Biological Membranes and Possibilities of Application of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy for their Characterization

Štěpánka Skalová

Štěpánka Skalová

J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 3, 182 23 Prague 8, Czech Republic

Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Analytical Chemistry, UNESCO Laboratory of Environmental Electrochemistry, Hlavova 2030/8, 128 43 Prague 2 Czech Republic

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Vlastimil Vyskočil

Vlastimil Vyskočil

Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Analytical Chemistry, UNESCO Laboratory of Environmental Electrochemistry, Hlavova 2030/8, 128 43 Prague 2 Czech Republic

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Jiří Barek

Jiří Barek

Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Analytical Chemistry, UNESCO Laboratory of Environmental Electrochemistry, Hlavova 2030/8, 128 43 Prague 2 Czech Republic

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Tomáš Navrátil

Corresponding Author

Tomáš Navrátil

J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 3, 182 23 Prague 8, Czech Republic

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First published: 21 December 2017
Citations: 13

Abstract

Biological membranes are essential parts of living systems. They represent an interface between intracellular and extracellular space. Depending on their structure, they often perform very complex functions and play an important role in the transport of both charged and uncharged particles in any organism. Structure of the biological membranes, which play very important role in electrochemical processes inside living organisms, is very complicated and still not precisely defined and explained. Model lipid membranes are used to gain detail information about properties of real biological membranes and about associated electrochemical processes. Electrochemistry, especially electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), can play a useful role in the characterization of properties of model lipid membranes (planar and supported lipid bilayers, tethered lipid membranes, liposomes, etc.). This review is focused on model biological membranes and the possibilities and limitations of electrochemical methods and namely of EIS in this field.