Electric characteristics of lipid-modified monolayer membranes for taste sensors

Lipid membranes are useful materials to transform information about taste substances into electric signals. A lipid monolayer membrane for a taste sensor has been prepared by adsorbing lipid materials to the hydrophobic surface of a polymer membrane. The lipid-modified membranes respond to such electrolytic taste substances as HCl (sourness) or NaCl (saltiness) with large response magnitudes and such non-electrolytic substances as caffeine (bitterness) or sugar (sweetness) with high sensitivities. Thus the present membrane has a high ability to detect taste.