Effect of asymmetric bathing solution on the nonlinear I–V characteristics of lipid membranes

The nonlinearity in the I–V characteristics of lipid bilayer membrane in symmetric bathing solution has been reported earlier and was explained in the light of semiconducting nature of lipid molecules and mechanism of charge conduction in inhomogeneous system. Here we report the nonlinear I–V characteristic in planar lipid membrane in the presence of asymmetric bathing solution. The result shows that the nature of the I–V curve is different in forward and in reverse biasing condition, conferring a diode like behaviour to the system.