Glass-supported lipid/polydiacetylene films for colour sensing of membrane-active compounds

Glass-supported biomimetic lipid/polydiacetylene films were employed for colourimetric detection and analysis of amphiphilic and membrane-active molecules. The sensor films comprise lipid monolayers that constitute a biomimetic membrane platform, interspersed within polydiacetylene domains that function as the colour reporter. The optical detection scheme is based on visible blue–red transitions of polydiacetylene, induced by amphiphilic analytes interacting with the film. The colour transitions of the lipid/polydiacetylene films can be either detected by the naked eye, recorded spectroscopically, or registered through digital image analysis using conventional scanning devices. Digital image analysis, in particular, allows quantification of the colourimetric transformations. Detection threshold of micromolar concentration of a membrane-active cytolytic peptide is demonstrated.