Membrane structures under shear as studied by neutron scattering

Objective

Research objectives and content
Shear flow is known to have a profound influence on the structure of complex fluids like thermotropic or Iyotropic liquid crystals. There is a fundamental interest in understanding the microscopic structure and dynamics of such fluids as the macroscopic material properties change with an external perturbation.
This project will focus on the influence of shear on membrane structures. Especially the influence of polymers, that connect surfactant lamellae is studied and it will be analyzed whether shear induced vesicles are stabilized by the polymers. As a key technique neutron scattering will be used to probe the structures on-line with the shear flow.
Training content (objective, benefit and expected impact)
This project will strongly contribute to a specialisation in methods combining rheological and structure analysis. The skills gained by the use of neutron scattering can also be applied on other materials and related scattering methods.
The participation in the various scientific program (workshops, seminars, summer schools) at the common ILL/ESRF/EMBL site will be a further benefit.
Links with industry / industrial relevance (22)
The formation of shear induced stabilized vesicles out of lamellar phases is of great interest for the pharmaceutical industry as modern drug carrier systems. There are close contacts on liposome research between the University of Freiburg (Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy) and Boehringer Mannheim.

Fields of science

Programme(s)

FP4-TMR - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of the training and mobility of researchers, 1994-1998

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

RGI - Research grants (individual fellowships)

Coordinator

INSTITUT MAX VON LAUE - PAUL LANGEVIN

Address

Rue jules horowitz
38042 Grenoble
France

EU contribution

€ 0,00

Participants (1)

Not available

Germany