Conducting polymer supported bilayer lipid membrane reconstituted with alamethicin

Ionic electroactive polymers and bioderived materials have been independently demonstrated as actuators, sensors and energy harvesting devices. In an electroactive polymer, the applied electric field between the cathode and anode drives ion transport between the electrodes, impregnated electrolyte and the bulk of the polymer to generate force and displacement. Similarly, in a bioderived material an input stimulus (electrical, chemoelectrical or chemical) applied across the protein in a bilayer lipid membrane (BLM) displaces ions across the membrane barrier and enables sensing and actuation functions. This paper presents a novel architecture for a device that integrates the ionic function of an electroactive polymer and a bioderived material into a thin-film laminated device combining their unique advantages. A conducting polymer (PPy(DBS)) is used as the electroactive polymer and alamethicin-bound bilayer lipid membrane is used as the bioderived material in the thin-film laminated device. Owing to the configuration of the laminated device, the protein regulates the ionic concentration in the conducting polymer and regulates the electrochemical doping/undoping process in the polymer. By electrically connecting the conducting polymer across its thickness, this arrangement provides a mechanism external to the polymer besides electrical field that can control the electrical, mechanical and/or optical properties of the conducting polymer. This paper also presents the fabrication and characterization of the integrated ionic device and presents a template for the development of a novel category of electroactive ionic devices.