In this thesis, a new model of the plasma membrane was established, where a lipid membrane is separated from a planar, solid substrate via hydrated polymer spacers with defined length and density, which play the role of the glycocalix. This amphiphilic membrane tether consists of hydrophobic lipid anchors, a poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) spacer, and a trimethoxysilane coupling group. The supported membranes separated from the solid by polymer films possess the following advantages compared to conventional model membranes directly deposited onto planar substrates: (i) the distance between membrane and substrate can be adjusted by the length of the polymer spacer, and (ii) the average viscosity of the polymer interlayer can be controlled by the lateral tether density. This polymer film provides a bioanalog environment for membrane spanning proteins.
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In this thesis, a new model of the plasma membrane was established, where a lipid membrane is separated from a planar, solid substrate via hydrated polymer spacers with defined length and density, which play the role of the glycocalix. This amphiphilic membrane tether consists of hydrophobic lipid anchors, a poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) spacer, and a trimethoxysilane coupling group. The supported membranes separated from the solid by polymer films possess the following advantages compared to conve...
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