Electrical breakdown of bimolecular lipid membranes as an electromechanical instability.

The bimolecular lipid membrane (BLM) is modeled as a bulk elastic layer subject to a compressive electric force caused by applied voltages. Analysis of this model shows that a compressive instability develops when the electric stress exceeds a critical value. This instability tends to crush the film and thus rupture it. The predicted breakdown voltage, when compared with measured values for phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol, shows fair agreement, considering the uncertainty in the estimate of elastic parameters.