Modified electrodes based on lipidic cubic phases.

The lipidic cubic phase can be characterized as a curved bilayer forming a three-dimensional, crystallographical, well-ordered structure that is interwoven by aqueous channels. It provides a stable, well-organized environment in which diffusion of both water-soluble and lipid-soluble compounds can take place. Cubic phases based on monoacylglycerols form readily and attract our interest due to their ability to incorporate and stabilize proteins. Their lyotropic and thermotropic phase behaviour has been thoroughly investigated. At hydration over 20%, lipidic cubic phases Ia3d and Pn3m are formed. The latter is stable in the presence of excess water, which is important when the cubic phase is considered as an electrode-modifying material. Due to high viscosity, the cubic phases can be simply smeared over solid substrates such as electrodes and used to host enzymes and synthetic catalysts, leading to new types of catalytically active modified electrodes as shown for the determination of cholesterol, CO(2), or oxygen. The efficiency of transport of small hydrophilic molecules within the film can be determined by voltametry using two types of electrodes: a normal-size electrode working in the linear diffusion regime, and an ultramicroelectrode working under spherical diffusion conditions. This allows determining both the concentration and diffusion coefficient of the electrochemically active probe in the cubic phase. The monoolein-based cubic phase matrices are useful for immobilizing enzymes on the electrode surface (e.g., laccases from Trametes sp. and Rhus vernicifera were employed for monitoring dioxygen). The electronic contact between the electrode and the enzyme was maintained using suitable electroactive probes.