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AssigneesAustralian Membrane and Biotechnology Research Institute, The University of Sydney
InventorsBurkhard Raguse, Bruce A Cornell, Vijoleta L Braach-Maksvytis, Ronald J Pace
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The present invention relates to novel electrode membrane combination. This novel combination employs compounds include a linker lipid for use in attaching a membrane including a plurality of ionophores to an electrode and providing a space between the membrane and the electrode, the electrode being either in part or totally made up of the linker lipid. The linker lipid comprises within the same molecule a hydrophobic region capable of spanning the membrane, an attachment group used to attach the molecule to an electrode surface, a hydrophilic region intermediate said hydrophobic region and the attachment group and a polar head group region attached to the hydrophobic region at a site remote from the hydrophilic region.
An electrode membrane combination comprising an electrode and an ionically insulating monolayer membrane, the membrane comprising a closely packed array of amphiphilic molecules and a plurality of ionophores dispersed therein, said amphiphilic molecules comprising within the same molecule a hydrophobic region, an attachment region attached to the electrode, a hydrophilic region intermediate said hydrophobic and attachment regions, the space formed by said hydrophilic region between the electrode and the membrane being sufficient to allow the flux of ions through the ionophores, and a head group attached to the hydrophobic portion of the molecule at a site remote from the hydrophilic region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.