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BackgroundThe National Science Foundation forecasts that the global market for nanotechnology-related products and services will reach $1 trillion by 2015. A variety of these products can be produced exploiting the unique properties of nanostructured fluids and nanoparticles. The nanostructured fluids are characterized by the presence of molecular aggregates made up of surfactant, lipid or block copolymer molecules, and are commonly generated by molecular self-organization. The nanostructured fluids can themselves serve as nanoscale products for different practical applications. Examples are liposomes employed for drug delivery applications, lipoplex systems being developed for gene delivery, microemulsions as cosmetics delivery agents, microemulsions and nanoparticles for transdermal drug delivery, micelles acting as catalysts to destroy toxic chemicals, etc. Another way by which the nanostructured fluids can be exploited is their use as micro or nanoreactors for nanoparticle synthesis of other nanoparticles or as templates for nanostructure development. Examples are mesoporous zeolite materials developed as catalyst supports or for chemical separations applications using structured fluids as templates, nanoscale metal particles developed as catalysts, semiconductor particles, magnetic particles, metal oxide particles, etc., all prepared using the nanostructured fluids as nanoreactors.A large number of commercial products are currently being developed, exploiting the nanostructured fluids and nanoparticles. Examples include: nanoporous materials coated with active groups such as enzymes to extract a variety of metals and organics from solution media; nylon nanocomposite films incorporating silica nanoparticles for use as high barrier materials for packaging; nanoparticle slurries for chemical mechanical planarization applications in computer and electronic materials industry; nanoparticle based coatings that provide conductive and transparent coatings for plastics; nanoparticle coating to combat fouling on ship hulls; gold nanoparticle sensors to detect biological warfare agents; silver nanoparticles for antibacterial dressings; etc.Central to the goal of developing nanotechnology-related products is our ability to manipulate and control the nanostructured fluids. Understanding the properties of nanostructured fluids and the methods for their preparation and structural characterization are key both to their direct utilization in applications and for their exploitation for creating other nanoparticulate systems and devices.

Course Objectives

The goal of this course is to introduce the fundamentals and applications of structured fluids and nanoparticles to industrial scientists and engineers and those with managerial responsibility for research. First, the fundamental physical chemical principles that govern the formation and properties of structured fluids will be considered. Second, important experimental techniques that can be used to characterize the properties of structured fluids and nanoparticles, particularly the nature of molecular organization and structure at the nano, meso or micro scales will be reviewed. Third, the synthesis and funtionalization of nanoparticles, their assembly into one, two or three dimensional materials and their applications in various fields will be discussed. Fourth, numerous applications of structured fluids and nanoparticles in the area of novel materials synthesis, biomedicine and biotechnology, and environmental stability will be discussed. Throughout the course, effort will be made to provide a molecular and intuitive understanding of the field accompanied, wherever necessary, by quantitative models.

Learning Objectives

• Describe structured fluid systems, how they can be created from molecular species, and ways by which one can select molecular systems to generate the desired type of structured fluid.
• Appreciate the important experimental techniques that are available to characterize the microstructure and other physical properties of structured fluids.
• Examine how structured fluids can be exploited to produce novel materials, including various nanoparticle systems, mesoporous materials, and polymers and gels.
• Understand the various methods available to synthesize nanoparticles, functionalize them and assemble them into one, two or three dimensional materials.
• Analyze how structured fluids and nanoparticles can be exploited for biomedical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology applications, including controlled delivery, protein separations, and enzymatic biocatalysis in water-poor media.
• Assess how structured fluids and nanoparticles can be used for environmental protection, such as for soil remediation and chemical decontamination.
• Model potential future applications that can come by exploiting the nano, meso and micro structural features of structured fluids.

Who should attend

This course is intended to provide an understanding of the physical chemical principles underlying structured fluids, important experimental techniques for their characterization and most importantly, areas of practical applications exploiting structured fluids. The following groups of researchers and industrial scientists and engineers will find the course of value to them:

• biologists, physicists, chemists and engineers interested in gaining exposure to the field of structured fluids including their physical chemical foundations and experimental characterization methods for adapting them in their own research activities;
• engineers and scientists in the pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics, personal care products, and materials technology industries, who are interested to learn how structured fluids can be exploited to create new products or processes of relevance to their industries;
• managers responsible for research and development activities or process engineering who would like to gain an appreciation of the potential benefits that can emerge from the use of structured fluids for creating new products or processes.

Course Outline

Physical Chemical Introduction to Structured Fluids

Session 1

• Field of structured fluids
• Surfactants and amphiphilic polymers
• Self-assembled surfactant aggregates

Session 2

• Polymer-surfactant aggregates
• Solubilization and microemulsions
• Block copolymer aggregates

Session 3

• Hydrogels
• Organogels

Experimental Techniques for Study of Structured Fluids and Nanoparticles Session 1

• Light scattering
• Neutron scattering

Session 2

• Fluorescence
• Nuclear magnetic resonance
• Electron microscopy

Session 3

• Rheological measurements
• Surface force measurements
• Differential scanning calorimetry
• Surface tension and contact angle
• Zeta potential

Applications in Material Synthesis Session 1

• Synthesis of semiconductor, metal, magnetic nanoparticles in reverse micelles
• Self-assembled block copolymer aggregates as microreactors
• Material synthesis with double hydrophilic block copolymers

Session 2

• Synthesis of microporous materials
• Templated synthesis of mesoporous materials
• Use of organogels for nanomaterial preparation

Session 3

• Material synthesis based on polyelectrolyte multilayers
• Nanostructured polymer synthesis using lyotropic liquid crystals

Nanoparticles - Synthesis, Functionalization and Assembly

Session 1

• Functional surfactants for designing responsive systems
• Chemical, biological, electrochemical and photochemical activity

Session 2

• Organic nanoparticles by precipitation
• Functionalization of nanoparticles

Session 3

• Polymer mediated assembly of nanoparticles
• Nanoparticle assembly by biological recognition
• Assembly of nanoparticles by interfacial energy

Applications in Biomedicine, Pharmaceutics and Biotechnology Session 1

• Liposomal delivery of drugs
• Hydrogels as drug carriers
• Micelles and microemulsions as drug delivery vehicles

Session 2

• Liposome and polymers for gene delivery
• Perfluorocarbon emulsions as oxygen carriers
• Solid lipid nanoparticles in pharmaceutical applications

Session 3

• Enzymatic biocatalysis in reverse micelles
• Protein separations using microemulsions
• Protein separations via partitioning in aqueous two-phase micellar solutions
• Micellar chromatography for analysis of biological samples

Applications in Environmental Cleanup and Chemical Decontamination Session 1

• Use of surfactants in soil remediation
• Ocean oil spills containment
• Functionalized nanoparticles for remediation and decontamination

Session 2

• Chemical synthesis in microemulsions based on supercritical CO2
• Micellar catalysis for chemical detoxification
  

Review and Perspective

Learn more at:

Nanostructured Fluids and Particles in Materials, Chemical, Biological and Pharmaceutical Technologies

Date: June 11-15, 2007| MIT Campus - Cambridge, MA