Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 25, 2026
09:47
Facile Preparation of Internally Self-assembled Lipid Particles Stabilized by Carbon Nanotubes
Published on: February 19, 2016
10.2K
Enzymatically activated emulsions stabilised by interfacial nanofibre networks
Inês P Moreira1, Ivan Ramos Sasselli, Daniel A Cannon
1WestCHEM, Department of Pure, Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, 295 Cathedral St, Glasgow G1 1xl, UK. tell.tuttle@strath.ac.uk rein.ulijn@asrc.cuny.edu.
Soft Matter
|February 25, 2016
Summary
This study demonstrates on-demand emulsion stabilization using enzyme-triggered self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles into interfacial nanofibrous networks. This novel approach allows for stable emulsions formed biocatalytically, even after prolonged storage.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Biocatalysis
- Materials Science
Background:
- Emulsion stabilization is crucial in various industries.
- Traditional methods often involve synthetic surfactants with potential environmental concerns.
- Developing stimuli-responsive and biocompatible stabilization mechanisms is an ongoing challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the on-demand formation of emulsions stabilized by interfacial nanoscale networks.
- To investigate the biocatalytic dephosphorylation and self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles for emulsion stabilization.
- To demonstrate a novel method for creating stable emulsions using enzyme-triggered self-assembly.
Main Methods:
- Utilized alkaline phosphatase for biocatalytic dephosphorylation of precursors.
- Employed Fmoc-tyrosine-leucine (Fmoc-YL) peptide amphiphiles for self-assembly into nanofibrous networks.
- Investigated emulsion formation and stabilization in biphasic aqueous/organic systems.
- Characterized interfacial self-assembly using fluorescence, FTIR spectroscopy, fluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy.
- Employed atomistic molecular dynamics for computational analysis.
Main Results:
- Achieved on-demand emulsion formation upon enzyme addition.
- Demonstrated stabilization of emulsions by interfacial nanofibrous networks formed by self-assembling Fmoc-YL.
- Confirmed preferential network formation at the organic/aqueous interface.
- Showcased stable emulsions even after storage of biphasic mixtures for several weeks.
- Provided detailed characterization of the interfacial self-assembly process.
Conclusions:
- Biocatalytic dephosphorylation and self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles offer a robust method for on-demand emulsion stabilization.
- The formation of interfacial nanofibrous networks is key to achieving stable emulsions.
- This approach presents a promising, stimuli-responsive alternative to conventional emulsion stabilizers.
Related Concept Videos
03:22Colloids
22.0K
Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles that are visible to the naked eye or can be seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. On the other hand, a solution is a homogeneous mixture in which no settling occurs and in which the dissolved...
22.0K
01:27Surface Active Agents
81
Surfactants, named for their behavior at interfaces, positively adsorb at the interfaces of two phases, reducing interfacial tension. Their versatility as emulsifiers, detergents, and foaming agents stems from this ability. Surfactants, often termed amphiphiles, share the property of amphipathy, with molecules having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions. The hydrophilic part is called the head, and the hydrophobic part, including an elongated alkyl substituent, forms the tail.Surfactants...
81
01:30Micelles
161
Micelle formation is an intricate process that hinges on the properties of amphiphilic or amphipathic molecules and the conditions of the system in which they are found. Amphiphilic molecules, which have both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) parts, play a critical role in this process.In aqueous environments, these molecules arrange themselves such that their hydrophilic heads are turned towards the water phase, while their hydrophobic tails are oriented away...
161