Liquid membrane phenomena: Characterization of liquid membranes generated by lecithin

Abstract

The transport behaviour of liquid membranes generated by lecithin at the sintered glass membrane-water interface has been studied. Data on hydraulic permeability, electroosmotic velocity, streaming potential and streaming current have been used to calculate the transport coefficients (R_ik) accounting for liquid membranes, using the theory developed by Kedem and Katchalsky for composite series membranes. The trends observed in degree of coupling corresponding to liquid membranes are indicative of the applicability of liquid membranes as model systems for biological membranes. The efficiencies of electro-kinetic energy conversion for both electroosmosis and streaming potential have been evaluated and the results thus obtained have been shown to be consistent with the steady state thermodynamic theory.