Our research goal is to explain the relationship between the chemistry of naturally occurring and synthetic amphiphiles and their behavior at interfaces, in both conventional and compressible media. The interaction among interfacially active species may lead to very rich and complex phenomena that have a wide range of applications from drug delivery systems, to nanoscale patterning for electronic and sensing applications, to morphological control of scaffolds for tissue generation. Perhaps one of the most distinct features of our research group is the combination of both atomistic computer simulations and experiments to study the microstructural and thermodynamic properties of this nanometer-thin region, often buried between two phases.
Current projects are related to the general fields of materials science and physical chemistry. Some examples of research ongoing in our laboratories include:
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Pulmonary
Drug Delivery Systems
• Novel Materials
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We work in collaboration with several research groups within and outside Wayne State University, including
Potoff's, and
Verani's group.
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Drug Delivery Systems
pMDI’s for the Delivery of Biomolecules
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Our long-term goal is to develop novel formulations for the delivery of biomolecular species for the treatment of medically relevant diseases including diabetes and cancer. Currently, our research focuses on the development of a fundamental knowledge of the interfacial properties of the bare and surfactant-modified hydrofluoroalkane|water interface (HFA|W). The main objective of this project is to rationally design efficient amphiphiles capable of forming and stabilizing reverse aggregates of water dispersed in HFAs, for use in pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDI).
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Both atomistic molecular dynamics simulations and ab initio calculations, along with surfactant synthesis, atomic force microscopy, and in-situ high-pressure light scattering, tensiometry, and spectroscopy, are some of the tools being used to probe the buried HFA|W interfacial region. This work is also relevant in areas where HFAs are employed to deliver
hydrophobic drugs, vehicles that also require the use of surfactants for their optimum formulation.
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For more information on this project, please use the link to the student’s pages below:
 NSF-CTS
Grant
Number:
0553537
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Novel Materials
2D Aggregates for Novel Materials and Devices
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Potential applications of non-polymeric organic thin films include immunosensing, protein crystallization and separation and nanoparticle synthesis. Small organic molecules are of special interest because they can be easily engineered to incorporate functionalities into specified groups, thus allowing for controlled tuning of the surface properties of the film. Our goal is to use the chemistry of small molecule amphiphiles to control the assembly of nanodomains into pre-specified morphologies. Novel molecules capable of directly self-assembling into such domains are currently being investigated. We are also interested in templating the nucleation and growth of nanodomains. Bottom up synthesis of organic electronic materials are of special interest in our group. Here we utilize custom-made amphiphiles to guide the formation of crystals with controlled geometry and size.
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Different deposition schemes including Langmuir-Blodgett, self-assembly from solution and vapor, along with AFM, CFM and atomistic simulations are some of the tools being use to design the 2D nanodomains.
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For more information on this project, please use the link to the student’s pages below:
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