Lyotropic liquid crystal phases of monoolein in protic ionic liquids.

Monoolein-based liquid crystal phases are established media that are researched for various biological applications, including drug delivery. While water is the most common solvent for self-assembly, some ionic liquids (ILs) can support lipidic self-assembly. However, currently, there is limited knowledge of IL-lipid phase behavior in ILs.

Polarisation and rheology characterisation of monoolein/water liquid crystal dynamical behaviour during high-viscosity injector extrusion.

Hypothesis: The use of monoolein/water mixtures in serial crystallography experiments using high-viscosity injectors (HVI) results in significant departures from equilibrium behaviour. This is expected to include changes in phase, viscosity, and associated flow behaviour. It should be possible to detect these changes, in-situ, using a combination of polarisation and rheology characterisation techniques.

Probing ion-binding at a protein interface: Modulation of protein properties by ionic liquids.

Ions are important to modulate protein properties, including solubility and stability, through specific ion effects. Ionic liquids (ILs) are designer salts with versatile ion combinations with great potential to control protein properties. Although protein-ion binding of common metals is well-known, the IL effect on proteins is not well understood.

Acoustomicrofluidic Defect Engineering and Ligand Exchange in ZIF-8 Metal-Organic Frameworks.

A way through which the properties of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can be tuned is by engineering defects into the crystal structure. Given its intrinsic stability and rigidity, however, it is difficult to introduce defects into zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs)-and ZIF-8, in particular-without compromising crystal integrity. In this work, it is shown that the acoustic radiation pressure as well as the hydrodynamic stresses arising from the oscillatory flow generated by coupling high frequency (MHz-order) hybrid surface and bulk acoustic waves into a suspension of ZIF-8 crystals in a liquid pressure transmitting medium is capable of driving permanent structural changes in their crystal lattice structure.