SEMICONDUCTOR PARTICLES IN BILAYER LIPID-MEMBRANES - FORMATION, CHARACTERIZATION, AND PHOTOELECTROCHEMISTRY

Bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs) have been formed from bovine phosphatidylserine (PS), glyceryl monooleate (GMO), and a polymerizable surfactant. These BLMs were then used to provide matrices for the in situ generation of microcrystalline CdS, CuS, Cu//2S, PbS, ZnS, HgS, and In//2S//3. Semiconductors were formed by injecting appropriate metal ion precursors and H//2S into the bathing solutions on opposite sides of the BLM. Their presence was established by voltage-dependent capacitance measurements, absorption spectroscopy, and optical microscopy. Subsequent to the injection of H//2S, the first observable change was the appearance of fairly uniform white dots on the black film. These dots rapidly moved around and grew in size, forming islands that then merged with themselves and with a second generation of dots, which ultimately led to a continuous film that continued to grow in thickness.