Nanostructured Fluids and Particles in Materials, Chemical, Biological and Pharmaceutical Technologies
1/2/2006 2:03:19 PM
Date: June 12-16, 2006 | Tuition: $3,000 | Continuing Education Units (CEUs): 3.0
Background
The 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. 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 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. 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, often referred to as complex fluids, 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, particularly the nature of molecular organization and structure at the nano, meso or micro scales will be reviewed. Third, numerous applications of structured fluids will be discussed. Emphasis is placed on applications in the area of novel materials synthesis (especially those on the nanoscale), biomedical applications (including controlled delivery methods) and biotechnology and environmental applications (including protein separations, chemical decontamination and soil remediation). 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.
Analyze how structured fluids 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 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 Format
The course consists of lectures on individual topics incorporating discussion periods on various subjects. Each participant will be provided with a set of course notes as PowerPoint slides and other supplemental lecture materials.
Lectures will begin every day promptly at 8:00 am and will end at 5:00 pm except on Friday when they will finish at 12:00 noon. There will be breaks between lectures and a break for lunch.
A reception is scheduled for Monday from 6:00-8:00 pm and a banquet for Thursday evening 6:00-9:00 pm.
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