Curvature effects in charge-regulated lipid bilayers. Issue 13 (16th March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Khunpetch, Petch; Majee, Arghya; Podgornik, Rudolf
• Is Part Of: Soft matter. Volume 18:Issue 13(2022)
• Page Start: 2597
• Page End: 2610
• Publication Date: 2022-03-16
• Subjects: Soft condensed matter -- Periodicals; 530.413
• DOI: 10.1039/d1sm01665b
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1744-683X

Abstract

Abstract : We formulate a theory of electrostatic interactions in lipid bilayer membranes where both monolayer leaflets contain dissociable moieties that are subject to charge regulation. Abstract : We formulate a theory of electrostatic interactions in lipid bilayer membranes where both monolayer leaflets contain dissociable moieties that are subject to charge regulation. We specifically investigate the coupling between membrane curvature and charge regulation of a lipid bilayer vesicle using both the linear Debye–Hückel (DH) and the non-linear Poisson–Boltzmann (PB) theory. We find that charge regulation of an otherwise symmetric bilayer membrane can induce charge symmetry breaking, non-linear flexoelectricity and anomalous curvature dependence of free energy. The pH effects investigated go beyond the paradigm of electrostatic renormalization of the mechano-elastic properties of membranes.