Nanopore arrays for stable and functional free-standing lipid bilayers

Lipid bilayers; in nanopores are stable for days. The stability depends on the nature of the lipid as well on the pore diameter as investigated by impedance spectroscopy. Bilayers formed of palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine are stable up to 4 days in 200 nm pores regularly arrayed in a 300 nm thin silicon nitride support. The transport of K+ across bilayers by valinomycin demonstrates that this support material has a high potential to monitor functions of membrane proteins.