Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy (SEIRAS) to Probe Interfacial Water in Floating Bilayer Lipid Membranes (fBLMs)

Floating bilayer lipid membranes (fBLMs) immobilized on metallic surfaces provide a convenient model mimicking the cell membranes due to the effective hydration of lipid polar heads in a proximal leaflet and the possibility to generate the potential gradient across the membrane. This chapter describes the protocol for the measurement of interfacial water separating the floating bilayer lipid membrane from the solid support using surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) under electrochemical control.