Synthetic Bilayer Membranes: Molecular Design, Self‐Organization, and Application

TLDR

Lipid bilayers are central to biological organization, and their two‑dimensional self‑assembly generates molecular shapes and sizes; the spontaneous assembly of synthetic amphiphiles into bilayers demonstrates that bilayer formation is a general physicochemical phenomenon beyond natural biolipids. The study aims to use cast films as molecular templates to produce novel two‑dimensional materials. Synthetic amphiphiles with one to four alkyl or perfluoroalkyl tails form bilayers whose supramolecular structures correlate with molecular design, enabling stable monolayers, planar membranes, and cast films that can organize covalently bound units and guest molecules.

Abstract

Abstract Lipid bilayers are a most central building block of the biological molecular organization. Their two‐dimensional self‐assembly is essential to the generation of biological shapes and sizes on the molecular level. The observation that a totally synthetic amphiphile in water is spontaneously assembled to a bilayer structure suggested that bilayer formation is a general physicochemical phenomenon that is not restricted to particular structures of biolipid molecules. Bilayer formation is now observed for a large variety of synthetic amphiphiles which contain one, two, three, or four alkyl tails. The flexible alkyl tail may be replaced by perfluoroalkyl chains. The supramolecular structures obtained therefrom can be related to the component's molecular structure in many cases. The structural variety and the ease of molecular design make the synthetic bilayer an attractive vehicle for organizing covalently bound functional units and guest molecules. In addition, stable monolayers on water, planar lipid membranes (BLM), and free‐standing cast films are obtainable because of the self‐assembling property of bilayer‐forming compounds. These molecular organizations display common supramolecular features. The use of the cast film as a molecular template provides exciting potential for the production of novel two‐dimensional materials.