CaIFF Webinar: Professor Calum Drummond
Amphiphile Self-Assembly Materials
Abstract
Surfactants, lipids, and many macromolecules are classed as amphiphiles. Amphiphiles (molecules possessing polar and non-polar segments) can utilise their molecular segmentation to self-assemble into highly-ordered structures in some liquids. These amphiphile self-assembly structures can be exploited to create advanced materials.
In Chandler’s review in Nature (2005, 437, 640) entitled “Interfaces and the driving force of hydrophobic assembly” he posed the question “Is water special?” with respect to exhibiting the hydrophobic effect. Chandler answered this question with the statement that an important physical feature responsible for hydrophobicity “solute-solvent interactions being significantly less attractive than solvent-solvent interactions are not particularly unusual, at least in the abstract sense.” Drummond’s work has demonstrably moved this consideration from the abstract domain to experimental validation.
Since 2007, the number of non-aqueous solvents which promote the self-assembly of amphiphiles has been increased five-fold (65 new solvents) by his laboratory. This allows a different exploration of the molecular “solvophobic effect.” This also provides opportunities for the development of new cryopreservation, enzyme catalysis, and protein crystallisation media.
Drummond’s fundamental research has also markedly increased the number of known organic molecules capable of self-assembling in solvents to form materials with ordered two-dimensional and three-dimensional internal nanostructures (lyotropic liquid crystals). This significant advance led to design rules which were first developed and then used by his group to invent drug delivery technologies, where the drugs are encapsulated in the nanostructured material and diffuse out in a controlled manner to treat cancerous tumours. In recent years this has been extended to the delivery of antimicrobials, mRNA, SiRNA, peptides, and proteins, and vaccination.
Speaker
Registration link to Zoom Event:
https://ucph-ku.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dKOX_lg8QX6qjSeRb4wnkw