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Science 7 March 1980:
Vol. 207. no. 4435, pp. 1075 - 1077
DOI: 10.1126/science.207.4435.1075
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Articles

How Electric Fields Modify Alkane Solubility in Lipid Bilayers

STEPHEN H. WHITE 1

1 Department of Physiology, University of California, Irvine 92717

The planar lipid bilayer membrane is assumed to be in osmotic equilibrium with the surrounding Plateau-Gibbs border (annulus) and entrapped microlenses. An electric field applied across the membrane raises the chemical potential of the alkane in the bilayer, causing it to shift from the bilayer to the annulus and microlenses. This shift results in a decrease in thickness.

Submitted on September 27, 1979
Revised on December 6, 1979

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)