Poisson–Boltzmann Theory of Charged Lipid Membranes
Poisson–Boltzmann theory constitutes a mean-field approach to model the structure of the electric double layer near charged surfaces. We recapitulate how the Poisson–Boltzmann equation follows from the functional minimization of an appropriate free energy functional and discuss its application to charged lipid membranes. Specifically, we analyze a single planar surface and two interacting planar surfaces as models for isolated and interacting lipid layers, respectively. We apply these results to the modeling of macroion adsorption onto a mixed anionic/neutral membrane thereby accounting for the lateral mobility of the lipids. The article concludes with a discussion of the electrostatic coupling across the two leaflets of a lipid bilayer.