Membrane systems, monomolecular films

Different types of mimetic systems of biological membranes including vesicles (spherical phospholipid bilayers), LB monolayers, hybrid bilayers (HBLs) and tethered lipid bilayers were used in SERS investigations. LB films are monomolecular films that can be fabricated from amphiphiles at the water-air interface and transferred to a SERS solid substrate (such as island film). For SERS studies, the target molecule was treated as a dopant in a monolayer matrix formed for example by arachidic acid or phospholipids. Aroca and co-workers applied the LB technique to detect SERRS signal firom a variety of chromophores such as several perylene derivatives and RH6G even in SM level in some cases (Aroca 2006). HBLs are monolayers of phospholipids incorporated into SAM of long-chain thiols such as... 

The phthalocyanine containing polymer films were electrochemically investigated for their electrochromic reductions and reoxidations [406,411]. Under irradiation the reduction of O2 to water was studied in photoelectrochemical cells [407,409,412]. Especially Zn(II)-phthalocyanine in poly(vinylidene fluoride) shows high cathodic photocurrents. Also the electrochemical carbox dioxide and proton reduction by Co(II)-phthalocyanines in a low concentration monomolecular in a polyvinylpyridine matrix were investigated as part of a photoenergy systems [413,414]. As an active catalyst for proton reduction also a bipyridyl platinum complex in a polymer Nafion membrane was found [415]. In order to construct such a photochemical energy conversion system, the research in this field was extended for the electrocatalytic water oxidation to O2 [416-419]. The Ru-complexes cj5-[Ru(bpy)2Cl2] and especially Ru-red ([(NHsjs Ru >-Ru(NH3)4-0-Ru(NH3)5] ) are active as electrocatalysts. 

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