Quantitative Raman microspectroscopy for water permeability parameters at a droplet interface bilayer

Abstract

Using confocal Raman microspectroscopy, we derive parameters for bilayer water transport across an isolated nanoliter aqueous droplet pair. For a bilayer formed with two osmotically imbalanced and adherent nanoliter aqueous droplets in a surrounding oil solvent, a droplet interface bilayer (DIB), the water permeability coefficient across the lipid bilayer was determined from monitoring the Raman scattering from the CN stretching mode of K₃Fe(CN)₆ as a measure of water uptake into the swelling droplet of a DIB pair. We also derive passive diffusional permeability coefficient for D₂O transport across a droplet bilayer using O–D Raman signal. This method provides a significant methodological advance in determining water permeability coefficients in a convenient and reliable way.