Nanoparticle Synthesis Using Glycolipids

1. Nanoparticle Synthesis Using Glycolipids Shahidan Radiman et al School of Applied Physics Faculty of Science and Technology UKM

2. Why glycolipids? • Biocompatibility – can deliver nanoparticle to cell whether prepared in situ or ex situ;interact with DNA etc • Display typical lyotropic liquid crystalline behaviour –and like other surfactants can be used as template • Hydrogen bonding useful for anchoring • Chirality – useful for recognition or as “sensor” • More complex phases and morphologies than ordinary surfactants e.g cryoprotectants • Larger size than normal surfactants shown to give no defects as hemimicelles on inert surface e.g graphite

3. Economic reason for glycolipid • Biotech age – proteomics , membrane mimicry etc • Nanobionics : cell – interface • From renewable raw materials and is green tech ( non toxic , biodegradable etc) • Complex formulation – from pharmaceuticals , cosmetology to nuclear medicine • Infinite architecture and group combinations

4. Strategy of our group • Similarity with alkylpolyglucosides which are widely studied • Phase behaviour very similar to many known surfactants and readily used concepts like HLB , packing parameter etc • Integrated studies : monolayer , microstructures in both water (+ oil) and alcohols (phase behaviour), thermal , concentrations and rheology • Thermodynamics and phase transitions especially with incorporated reacting ions (phase stability) • Informatics on both molecular and supramolecular structures

5. Some fundamental questions? • Can glycolipid form giant micelles? • Can glycolipid in smectic phase form chiral defects? • Are monolayer glycolipid giving new features from normal surfactants? • Can glycolipid form L3 phase , bicontinuous middle-phase , highly-packed emulsions etc , organogels? • Lyotropic cubic phase – their role in membrane fusion etc

6. Manpower of our group • Local collaborators : • UM ( Dr. Rauzah + Dr Misni) , SIRIM ( Dr Nadarajah) , UiTM ( Dr. Sazali) • UKM : Dr. V.M Sithi ( Theory and Simulation) , Dr. Azmi Hamid ( Electron Microscopy + Semiconductor) , Dr. Razak Daud ( Mechanical Alloying) , Dr. Norbaayah Ibrahim ( Laser ablation) , Dr. Redzuwan Yahaya ( Monte Carlo Simulation) and Dr. Md Soot Ahmad ( Radiation Chemistry and Processing) • International Collaborator : Prof. Peter Laggner , Inst. Of Biophysics , Austrian Academy of Science

7. Research Students 5 PhDs: Mohamed A. Siddig (Rheology and microstructure) Irwana Nainggolan ( Synthesis and lyotropic behaviour) Siti Fazlili Abdullah ( Nanoparticle synthesis , part-time , deferred) Dahyunir Dahlan ( Electrochemical , Mechanical Alloying , deferred) Lal Said Jan ( Nanoparticle synthesis and electronic properties)

8. Research students • 8 MSc: • Vijay Achari ( MD simulation ) • Shamsuddin Mat Isa ( Rheology and Radiation Processing) • Norlie Mazlina ( Soil remediation ) • Huang Nay Ming ( Nanoparticle synthesis) • Khiew Poi Sim ( Nanocomposites and Radiation Processing) • Hartini Chik ( Rheology and lyotropic behaviour) • Siti Salwa Zainal Abidin ( Vesicles , Liposomes and Cosmeceuticals) • Marjoni Imamora ( Mechanical alloying , laser ablation and electrochemical )

9. New intake (March-May 2003) • 5 intakes soon: • Saiful Kamaludin ( Electrochemical and Monolayer ) • Yong Yoke Mei ( Synthesis and organogels) • Fong Ee Seng ( Soil remediation) • Kong Sing Geik ( Nanorods by LC templating) • 1 Postdoc from Ukraine (working in USA) • Cik Zaitonai Razali ( secretary for the group beginning 1 Feb. 2003)

10. Infrastructures • 3 labs allocated to the group and one large postgraduate room ( 10 students) • Amenities: security card and keys , one photocopy machine and 4 computers . • Facilities : Preparative lab, light microscopy facility , UV-Vis spectrometer, wetting angle goniometer , XPS facility , 2 dedicated simulation computer . • In the process: LB-trough (by March 03) and rheometer (by mid April 03) and by July 2003 , SWAXS machine • International collaborations: SWAXS (Graz), SANS (Hamburg)and Synchrotron facility(Trieste)

11. Methods of nanoparticle preparation • There are more than 25 methods to prepare nanoparticles to date but ours will mainly concentrate with using glycolipids • Methods already tried (successfully): micellar and microemulsion , LC templating • Methods to be tried (in near future) : laser ablation from micellar solution , electrochemical deposition , mechanical allloying using glycolipid as lubricant , Langmuir-Blodgett technique, organogels , vesicles and liposomes. • Challenges : polymerisable glycolipids , organometalloids, nonequilibrium structures

12. Some recent results from UKM • Polymerisation in wormlike micelles (Cetyltrimethylammonium p-toluenesulphonate) • PbS nanorod in sucrose-ester S1670 +1heptanol + water • NiS nanoparticles in sucrose ester S1170 + tetradecane + 1butanol + water • Nanocomposite of polyaniline-coated CdS in Synperonic NP5/NP10 +cyclohexane+water • NiS nanorod in Aerosol-OT +p-xylene+ water hexagonal phase • Fundamental study : Myelin figures and phase diagrams for sucrose esters and glucapone surfactants

13. Next step I(within 2003) • Using our own glycolipids to prepare nanoparticles • Nanoparticle applications e.g electrorheological fluids , dispersed catalysts , nanoclusters e.g SiO2 • Other materials e.g nanomagnets , nanosuperconductor etc • Longer rods • Interactions with biological materials e.g DNA , virus • Towards fabrication and large production

14. Next step II( end 2003-early 20040 • Exploit on organogels • In situ preparation of nanoparticles in cells e.g radioactive nanoparticles • New techniques of characterisation e.g grazing incidence X-ray (for multilayers), NMR and ESR for orientations , positron annihilation spectroscopy for defects , dynamic light scattering for concentrated phases • Modelling phases (microstructures), rheology and thermodynamics

15. Strength at UKM • Experimentalists + Theorists + Computational Physicists • Mixed physics and chemistry students • Leadership with surfactant-colloid and small-angle scattering background • Regular meetings and brainstorming sessions ( biweekly) • New MSc by courses which can be attended e.g STSP 6343 (Nanotechnology) • Feasible infrastructures

16. Weaknesses at UKM • Group management ( a postdoc is needed , secretary only recently) • Homepage and daily bulletin board ( under construction) • Collaboration with SIRIM ( poor) , UM ( fair to good) , UiTM ( fair) • International collaboration : Graz (fair to good) –providing SAXS and synchrotron facility-need to send students • Invited speakers/ visiting professors • Delay in buying instruments (J 1000)

17. Benchmarking (2003) • 10 international and 15 local publications • (in 2002 we have …….) • One international meeting held locally ( hopefully July 03) • Homepage linked to Paul Huibers • Invited talks /inviting speakers • Accredited laboratory ( need to check std requirements)

18. Conclusions • Overall we are on target with a 4 month delay (receive grant on 4/4/2002) • Need diverse preparative methods and types of nanoparticle , however: • Nanoparticle production need a guiding principle • Productivity is an important issue (2003) • Quality work IS an issue (this means novelty , theory and simulations)

19. PHILOSOPHY • There is a unifying (Tawhidic) philosophy behind our research in glycolipids and the keyword is MEMBRANES • Amphiphilic membranes are the basis of cell structures – the basis of living structures BUT also • Membranes are thought to be the fundamental structure of the universe ( e.g super membranes, M-theory etc) • The basic statistical mechanics and thermodynamics for both membranes are the same!! e.g Polyakov string ( for random membrane) = 2-dimensional gravity theory