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. 1987 Jan;51(1):27–36. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(87)83308-8

Effects of double-layer polarization on ion transport.

A H Hainsworth, S B Hladky
PMCID: PMC1329860  PMID: 2432953

Abstract

It has been proposed that changes in ionic strength will alter the shape of current-voltage relations for ion transport across a lipid membrane. To investigate this effect, we measured currents across glyceryl monooleate membranes at applied potentials between 10 and 300 mV using either gramicidin and 1 mM NaCl or valinomycin and 1 mM KCl. A bridge circuit with an integrator as null detector was used to separate the capacitative and ionic components of the current. The changes in the current-voltage relations when ionic strength is varied between 1 and 100 mM are compared with predictions of Gouy-Chapman theory for the effects of these variations on polarization of the electrical diffuse double-layer. Double-layer polarization accounts adequately for the changes observed using membranes made permeable by either gramicidin or valinomycin.

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Selected References

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