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Electrochemical response of biological membranes to localized currents and external electric fields

Joshua B. Fernandes1,2,*, Hyeongjoo Row1,3,*, Kranthi K. Mandadapu1,2,†, and Karthik Shekhar1,3,4,‡

  • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
  • †Contact author: kranthi@berkeley.edu
  • ‡Contact author: kshekhar@berkeley.edu
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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 013137 – Published 9 February, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/m446-4lnj

Abstract

Electrochemical phenomena in biology often unfold in confined geometries where micrometer- to millimeter-scale domains coexist with nanometer-scale interfacial diffuse charge layers. We analyze a model lipid membrane-electrolyte system where an ion channellike current flows across the membrane while parallel electrodes simultaneously apply a step voltage, emulating an extrinsic electric field. Matched asymptotic expansions of the Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations show that, under physiological conditions, the diffuse charge layers rapidly reach a quasisteady state, and the bulk electrolyte remains electroneutral. As a result, all free charge is confined to the nanometer-scale screening layers at the membrane and electrode interfaces. The bulk electric potential satisfies Laplace's equation and is dynamically coupled to the interfacial layers through time-dependent boundary conditions. This multiscale coupling partitions the space-time response into distinct regimes. At sufficiently long times, we show that the system can be represented by an equivalent circuit analogous to those used in classical cable theory. We derive closed-form expressions of the transmembrane potential within each regime and verify them against nonlinear numerical simulations. Our results show how electrode-induced screening and confinement effects influence the electrochemical response over multiple length and timescales in biological systems.

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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 013137– Published 9 February, 2026
  • Received 15 September 2025
  • Accepted 19 November 2025
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