Structural Study of the Hydration of Lipid Membranes Upon Interaction With Mesoporous Supports Prepared by Standard Methods and/or X?Ray Irradiation

Mesoporous materials feature ordered tailored structures with uniform pore sizes and highly accessible surface areas, making them an ideal host for functional organic molecules or nanoparticles analytical sensing applications. Moreover, as their porosity could be employed to deliver fluids, they suitable nanofluidic devices. As a first step in this direction, we present study of the hydration 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) model lipid membranes on solid mesoporous support. POPC was selected it changes structure upon at room temperature. films were prepared using two different templating agents, Pluronic P123 (PEO–PPO–PEO triblock copolymer where PEO is polyethylene oxide PPO polypropylene oxide) Brij 58 (C 16 H 33 (EO) 20 OH EO ethylene oxide), both following conventional route by X-ray irradiation via deep lithography technique subsequent development. The same samples additionally functionalized self-assembly monolayer (SAM) (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane. For every film, contact angle measured. A time resolved structural conducted situ grazing incidence small-angle scattering while increasing external humidity (RH), from 15 75% specially designed chamber. measurements evidenced that membrane occurs lower value respect deposited silicon substrates, demonstrating possibility convey water below. level reached thin film methods irradiated ones, functionalizing SAM strategy, meaning can partially selectively tuned. Therefore, “interactive” sample holders specimens them. thanks patterning lithography, devices biological studies complexity mesopores biofunctional SAMs fabricated.