Nanopore formation process in artificial cell membrane induced by plasma-generated reactive oxygen species

We investigated morphological change of an artificial lipid bilayer membrane induced by oxygen radicals which were generated by non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma. Neutral oxygen species, O(3Pj) and O2(1Δg), were irradiated of a supported lipid bilayer existing under a buffer solution at various conditions of dose time and distances, at which the dose amounts of the oxygen species were calculated quantitatively. Observation using an atomic force microscope and a fluorescence microscope revealed that dose of the neutral oxygen species generated nanopores with the diameter of 10–50 nm in a phospholipid bilayer, and finally destructed the bilayer structure. We found that protrusions appeared on the lipid bilayer surface prior to the formation of nanopores, and we attributed the protrusions to the precursor of the nanopores. We propose a mechanism of the pore formation induced by lipid oxidation on the basis of previous experimental and theoretical studies. [Display omitted] •Plasma-generated ROSs were irradiated of artificial cell membrane in a buffer solution.•Nanopores were observed by AFM after irradiation of O(3Pj) and O2(1Δg).•Protrusions appeared on the lipid bilayer prior to the nanopore formation.•Morphological changes were induced by two-step oxidation of lipid initiated by OH.