Method of stabilization of functional nanoscale pores for device applications
A membrane is disclosed made from a compound having a hydrophilic head group, an aliphatic tail group, and a polymerizable functional group. The membrane spans an aperture and may be polymerized. The membrane may be useful for DNA sequencing when the membrane includes an ion channel.
1. A structure comprising:
a membrane of a compound spanning an aperture;
wherein the compound comprises a hydrophilic head group and an aliphatic tail group;
wherein the compound comprises a polymerizable or polymerized functional group;
wherein the membrane further comprises an ion channel forming a pore through the membrane; and
wherein the ion channel is Staphylococcus aureus alpha-hemolysin or Bacillus anthracis protective antigen 63.
2. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the tail group comprises an ester group.
3. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the tail group comprises a C 11 -C 24 aliphatic.
4. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the compound comprises two tail groups.
5. The structure of claim 1 ;
wherein the membrane is a bilayer membrane;
wherein a majority of the head groups are on the surfaces of the membrane;
wherein a majority of the tail groups are in the interior of the membrane; and
wherein the tail group comprises the functional group.
6. The structure of claim 4 ;
wherein the compound comprises two tail groups; and
wherein one and only one of the tail groups comprises the functional group.
7. The structure of claim 4 , wherein the functional group is a diacetylene group.
8. The structure of claim 4 , wherein the functional group is a polymerized diacetylene group.
9. The structure of claim 4 , wherein the head group is selected from the group consisting of phosphoethanolamine and phosphocholine.
10. The structure of claim 4 , wherein the compound has a surface compressional modulus of from about 50 to about 150 mN/m.
11. The structure of claim 4 , wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of a 1-palmitoyl-2-tricosadiynoyl-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine having a diacetylene group in the tricosadiynoyl group and a 1-palmitoyl-2-tricosadiynoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine having a diacetylene group in the tricosadiynoyl group.
12. The structure of claim 4 , wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of 1-palmitoyl-2-10,12-tricosadiynoyl-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine and 1-palmitoyl-2-10,12-tricosadiynoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine.
13. The structure of claim 1 ;
wherein the head group comprises the functional group; and
wherein the membrane is on a solid surface.
14. The structure of claim 13 , wherein the head groups are covalently bound to the solid surface.
15. The structure of claim 13 , where the head group is phospho-N-(2-hydroxymethyl)-3,5-divinylbenzamide or polymerized phospho-N-(2-hydroxymethyl)-3,5-divinylbenzamide.
16. The structure of claim 13 , wherein the compound is 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-N-(2-hydroxymethyl)-3,5-divinylbenzamide.
17. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the aperture is from about 2 nm to about 250 microns in diameter.
18. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the aperture is from about 10 microns to about 100 microns in diameter.
19. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the ion channel is Staphylococcus aureus alpha-hemolysin.
20. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the ion channel is Bacillus anthracis protective antigen 63.
21. A structure comprising:
a bilayer membrane of a compound spanning an aperture;
wherein the compound comprises a hydrophilic head group and two aliphatic tail groups;
wherein one and only one of the tail groups comprises a polymerizable or polymerized functional group; and
wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of a 1-palmitoyl-2-tricosadiynoyl-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine having a diacetylene group in the tricosadiynoyl group, a 1-palmitoyl-2-tricosadiynoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine having a diacetylene group in the tricosadiynoyl group, 1-palmitoyl-2-10,12-tricosadiynoyl-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, and 1-palmitoyl-2-10,12-tricosadiynoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine.
22. The structure of claim 21 , wherein the membrane further comprises:
an ion channel forming a pore through the membrane.
23. The structure of claim 22 , wherein the ion channel is selected from the group consisting of a protein ion channel, Staphylococcus aureus alpha-hemolysin, Bacillus anthracis protective antigen 63, gramicidin, and a non-naturally occurring compound.