Porphyrins for probing electrical potential across lipid bilayer membranes by second harmonic generation

Abstract

Feeling the field! The intensity of second harmonic generation (SHG) from a porphyrin in a lipid bilayer is exceptionally sensitive to electric field, thus indicating that these dyes may be useful probes for electrical signals in excitable cells such as neurons. The porphyrin-based membrane probe (see picture, not to scale) gives a fast electro-optic response which is about 5-10 times greater than those of conventional styryl dyes. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.