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Honaryar H, Amirfattahi S, Nguyen D, Kim K, Shillcock JC, Niroobakhsh Z. A Versatile Approach to Stabilize Liquid-Liquid Interfaces using Surfactant Self-Assembly. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2403013. [PMID: 38874067 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202403013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Stabilizing liquid-liquid interfaces, whether between miscible or immiscible liquids, is crucial for a wide range of applications, including energy storage, microreactors, and biomimetic structures. In this study, a versatile approach for stabilizing the water-oil interface is presented using the morphological transitions that occur during the self-assembly of anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactants mixed with fatty acid oils. The morphological transitions underlying this approach are characterized and extensively studied through small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), rheometry, and microscopy techniques. Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) as a simulation tool is adopted to investigate these morphological transitions both in the equilibrium ternary system as well as in the dynamic condition of the water-oil interface. Such a versatile strategy holds promise for enhancing applications such as liquid-in-liquid 3D printing. Moreover, it has the potential to revolutionize a wide range of fields where stabilizing liquid-liquid interfaces not only offers unprecedented opportunities for fine-tuning nanostructural morphologies but also imparts interesting practical features to the resulting liquid shapes. These features include perfusion capabilities, self-healing, and porosity, which could have significant implications for various industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houman Honaryar
- Division of Energy, Matter, and Systems, School of Science and Engineering, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Saba Amirfattahi
- Division of Energy, Matter, and Systems, School of Science and Engineering, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Duoc Nguyen
- Division of Energy, Matter, and Systems, School of Science and Engineering, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Kyungtae Kim
- Materials Physics and Applications Division, Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA
| | - Julian C Shillcock
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Modeling, École Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
- Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Geneva, CH-1202, Switzerland
| | - Zahra Niroobakhsh
- Division of Energy, Matter, and Systems, School of Science and Engineering, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
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2
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Kajiya T, Sawai D, Miyata K, Miyashita Y, Noda H. Simple method to measure rheological properties of soft surfaces by a micro-needle contact. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2022; 45:76. [PMID: 36103057 DOI: 10.1140/epje/s10189-022-00227-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We developed a simple method to investigate rheological properties of soft surfaces, such as polymeric liquids and colloidal suspensions, by capturing the images of a metal micro-needle inserted into the surface. At contact, a meniscus-like deformation is formed on the surface. By relating the shape of the deformation to the balance of applied forces, local elasticity and viscosity just inside the surface are obtained. With a facile setup and rapid measurement process, the present method can be implemented to variety of systems, for instance, drying sessile drops and small volume of liquid confined in a capillary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadashi Kajiya
- Analysis Technology Center, Fujifilm Corporation, 210 Nakanuma, Minamiashigara, Kanagawa, 250-0193, Japan.
| | - Daisuke Sawai
- Analysis Technology Center, Fujifilm Corporation, 210 Nakanuma, Minamiashigara, Kanagawa, 250-0193, Japan
| | - Koji Miyata
- Analysis Technology Center, Fujifilm Corporation, 210 Nakanuma, Minamiashigara, Kanagawa, 250-0193, Japan
| | - Yosuke Miyashita
- Analysis Technology Center, Fujifilm Corporation, 210 Nakanuma, Minamiashigara, Kanagawa, 250-0193, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Noda
- Analysis Technology Center, Fujifilm Corporation, 210 Nakanuma, Minamiashigara, Kanagawa, 250-0193, Japan
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3
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She Y, Aoki H, Hu Y, Zhang C, Mahardika MA, Nasir M, Wang W, Patmonoaji A, Matsushita S, Suekane T. Effect of In-situ Dual Surfactant Formulation on Spontaneous Oil Deformation: A Comprehensive Study from Mechanism Discovery to Oil Recovery Application. Ind Eng Chem Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.2c01735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yun She
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-I6-33, Ookayama, Meguroku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Aoki
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-I6-33, Ookayama, Meguroku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Yingxue Hu
- School of Human Settlement and Civil Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Chunwei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Automotive Simulation and Control, Jilin University, 130025 Changchun, China
| | - Mohammad Azis Mahardika
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-I6-33, Ookayama, Meguroku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
- Mechanical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Nasional Bandung, Bandung 40124, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Muhammad Nasir
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-I6-33, Ookayama, Meguroku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Weicen Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-I6-33, Ookayama, Meguroku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Anindityo Patmonoaji
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-I6-33, Ookayama, Meguroku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Shintaro Matsushita
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-I6-33, Ookayama, Meguroku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Suekane
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-I6-33, Ookayama, Meguroku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
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4
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Hsieh TL, Law S, Garoff S, Tilton RD. pH-Dependent Interfacial Tension and Dilatational Modulus Synergism of Oil-Soluble Fatty Acid and Water-Soluble Cationic Surfactants at the Oil/Water Interface. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:11573-11581. [PMID: 34554763 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c01889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
While the concept of interfacial tension synergism in surfactant mixtures is well established, little attention has been paid to the possibility of synergistic effects on the interfacial rheology of mixed surfactant systems. Furthermore, interfacial tension synergism is most often investigated for mixtures of surfactants residing in a single phase. Here, we define dilatational modulus synergism and report a study of interfacial tension isotherms and complex dilatational moduli for a binary surfactant system with the two surfactants accessing the oil/water interface from opposite sides. Using an oil-soluble fatty acid surfactant (palmitic acid, PA) that may be ionized at the oil/water interface and a quaternary ammonium water-soluble cationic surfactant (tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide, TTAB), the binary interfacial interaction was tuned by the aqueous phase pH. Interfacial tensions and dilatational moduli were measured by the pendant drop method for the binary surfactant system as well as the corresponding single-surfactant systems to identify synergistic effects. The possible occurrence of dilatational modulus synergism was probed from two perspectives: one for a fixed total surfactant concentration and the other for a fixed interfacial tension. The aqueous pH was found to have a controlling effect on both interfacial tension synergism and the dilatational modulus synergism. The conditions for interfacial tension synergism coincided with those for the storage modulus synergism: both tension and storage modulus synergisms were observed under all conditions tested at pH 7 where PA was mostly deprotonated, for both perspectives examined, but not for any conditions tested at pH 3 where PA is mostly protonated. The loss modulus synergism exhibited more complex behaviors, such as frequency and interfacial tension dependences, but again was only observed at pH 7. The tension and modulus synergism at pH 7 were attributed to the increased attraction between ionized PA and cationic TTAB and the formation of catanionic complexes at the oil/water interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsung-Lin Hsieh
- Center for Complex Fluids Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Stephen Law
- Center for Complex Fluids Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Stephen Garoff
- Center for Complex Fluids Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Robert D Tilton
- Center for Complex Fluids Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
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5
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She Y, Zhang C, Mahardika MA, Patmonoaji A, Hu Y, Matsushita S, Suekane T. Pore-scale study of in-situ surfactant flooding with strong oil emulsification in sandstone based on X-ray microtomography. J IND ENG CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2021.03.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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6
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Okada M, Sumino Y, Ito H, Kitahata H. Spontaneous deformation and fission of oil droplets on an aqueous surfactant solution. Phys Rev E 2020; 102:042603. [PMID: 33212589 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.102.042603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the spontaneous deformation and fission of a tetradecane droplet containing palmitic acid (PA) on a stearyltrimethylammonium chloride (STAC) aqueous solution. In this system, the generation and rupture of the gel layer composed of PA and STAC induce the droplet deformation and fission. To investigate the characteristics of the droplet-fission dynamics, we obtained the time series of the number of the droplets produced by fission and confirmed that the number has a peak at a certain STAC concentration. Since the fission of the droplet should be led by the deformation, we analyzed four parameters which may relate to the fission dynamics from the spatiotemporal correlation of the droplet-boundary velocity. We found that the parameter which corresponds to the expansion speed had the strongest positive correlation among them, and thus we concluded that the faster deformation would be the key factor for the fission dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahide Okada
- Department of Physics, Chiba University, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
| | - Yutaka Sumino
- Department of Applied Physics, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo 125-8585, Japan.,W-FST, I2 Plus, and DCIS, RIST, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo 125-8585, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Ito
- Department of Physics, Chiba University, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
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7
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Suematsu NJ, Nakata S. Evolution of Self-Propelled Objects: From the Viewpoint of Nonlinear Science. Chemistry 2018; 24:6308-6324. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201705171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nobuhiko J. Suematsu
- Graduate School of Advanced Mathematical Sciences, Meiji Institute for Advanced Study of Mathematical Sciences (MIMS); Meiji University; Nakano 4-21-1 Tokyo 164-8525 Japan
| | - Satoshi Nakata
- Graduate School of Sciences; Hiroshima University; Kagamiyama 1-3-1 Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526 Japan
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8
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Karasawa Y, Nomoto T, Chiari L, Toyota T, Fujinami M. Motion modes of two self-propelled camphor boats on the surface of a surfactant-containing solution. J Colloid Interface Sci 2018; 511:184-192. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2017.09.099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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9
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Nagasaka Y, Tanaka S, Nehira T, Amimoto T. Spontaneous emulsification and self-propulsion of oil droplets induced by the synthesis of amino acid-based surfactants. SOFT MATTER 2017; 13:6450-6457. [PMID: 28876349 DOI: 10.1039/c7sm01117b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
It is well known that oil droplets in or on water exhibit spontaneous movement induced by surfactants, and this self-propulsion is regarded as an important factor in droplet-based models for a living cell. We report here an oil-droplet system spontaneously producing amino acid-based surfactants, which are then utilized for the droplets' self-propulsion. Thus this system is an active system capable of producing the fuel for the propulsion by itself, which can be used as a conceptual model for cell metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuriko Nagasaka
- Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-7-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan.
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10
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Assemblies of molecular aggregates in the blebbing motion of an oil droplet on an aqueous solution containing surfactant. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2017.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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11
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Arai Y, Tsuruki Y, Isobe T, Nakajima A, Matsushita S. Spontaneous Interfacial Tension Changes at the Interface of Metal Chloride Nitrobenzene Solution and Aqueous Stearyltrimethylammonium Chloride Solution: the Role of Metal Ions. BULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN 2017. [DOI: 10.1246/bcsj.20160348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Arai
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 S7-8, Ookayama, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8550
| | - Yuta Tsuruki
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 S7-8, Ookayama, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8550
| | - Toshihiro Isobe
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 S7-8, Ookayama, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8550
| | - Akira Nakajima
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 S7-8, Ookayama, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8550
| | - Sachiko Matsushita
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 S7-8, Ookayama, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8550
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12
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Banno T, Tanaka Y, Asakura K, Toyota T. Self-Propelled Oil Droplets and Their Morphological Change to Giant Vesicles Induced by a Surfactant Solution at Low pH. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2016; 32:9591-9597. [PMID: 27580350 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b02449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Unique dynamics using inanimate molecular assemblies based on soft matter have drawn much attention for demonstrating far-from-equilibrium chemical systems. However, there are no soft matter systems that exhibit a possible pathway linking the self-propelled oil droplets to formation of giant vesicles stimulated by low pH. In this study, we conceived an experimental oil-in-water emulsion system in which flocculated particles composed of a imine-containing oil transformed to spherical oil droplets that self-propelled and, after coming to rest, formed membranous figures. Finally, these figures became giant vesicles. From NMR, pH curves, and surface tension measurements, we determined that this far-from-equilibrium phenomenon was due to the acidic hydrolysis of the oil, which produced a benzaldehyde derivative as an oil component and a primary amine as a surfactant precursor, and the dynamic behavior of the hydrolytic products in the emulsion system. These findings afforded us a potential linkage between mobile droplet-based protocells and vesicle-based protocells stimulated by low pH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taisuke Banno
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University , 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
| | - Yuki Tanaka
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo , 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Kouichi Asakura
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University , 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
| | - Taro Toyota
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo , 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology Agency , 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
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13
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Sumino Y, Yamada NL, Nagao M, Honda T, Kitahata H, Melnichenko YB, Seto H. Mechanism of Spontaneous Blebbing Motion of an Oil-Water Interface: Elastic Stress Generated by a Lamellar-Lamellar Transition. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2016; 32:2891-2899. [PMID: 26938640 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b00107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A quaternary system composed of surfactant, cosurfactant, oil, and water showing spontaneous motion of the oil-water interface under far-from-equilibrium condition is studied in order to understand nanometer-scale structures and their roles in spontaneous motion. The interfacial motion is characterized by the repetitive extension and retraction of spherical protrusions at the interface, i.e, blebbing motion. During the blebbing motion, elastic aggregates are accumulated, which were characterized as surfactant lamellar structures with mean repeat distances d of 25 to 40 nm. Still unclear is the relationship between the structure formation and the dynamics of the interfacial motion. In the present study, we find that a new lamellar structure with d larger than 80 nm is formed at the blebbing oil-water interface, while the resultant elastic aggregates, which are the one reported before, have a lamellar structure with smaller d (25 to 40 nm). Such transition of lamellar structures from the larger d to smaller d is induced by a penetration of surfactants from an aqueous phase into the aggregates. We propose a model in which elastic stress generated by the transition drives the blebbing motion at the interface. The present results explain the link between nanometer-scale transition of lamellar structure and millimeter-scale dynamics at an oil-water interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaka Sumino
- Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science, Tokyo University of Science , Katsushika, Tokyo 125-8585, Japan
| | - Norifumi L Yamada
- KENS&CMRC, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization , Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1106, Japan
| | - Michihiro Nagao
- NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-6102, United States
- Center for Exploration of Energy and Matter, Indiana University , Bloomington, Indiana 47408 United States
| | - Takuya Honda
- Department of Education, Aichi University of Education , Kariya, Aichi 448-8542, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kitahata
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University , Chiba, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
| | - Yuri B Melnichenko
- Biology and Soft Matter Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6393, United States
| | - Hideki Seto
- KENS&CMRC, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization , Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1106, Japan
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14
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Lach S, Yoon SM, Grzybowski BA. Tactic, reactive, and functional droplets outside of equilibrium. Chem Soc Rev 2016; 45:4766-96. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cs00242k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Droplets subject to non-equilibrium conditions can exhibit a range of biomimetic and “intelligent” behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sławomir Lach
- IBS Center for Soft and Living Matter, and Department of Chemistry
- UNIST
- Ulsan
- Republic of Korea
| | - Seok Min Yoon
- IBS Center for Soft and Living Matter, and Department of Chemistry
- UNIST
- Ulsan
- Republic of Korea
| | - Bartosz A. Grzybowski
- IBS Center for Soft and Living Matter, and Department of Chemistry
- UNIST
- Ulsan
- Republic of Korea
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15
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Henson A, Gutierrez JMP, Hinkley T, Tsuda S, Cronin L. Towards heterotic computing with droplets in a fully automated droplet-maker platform. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2015; 373:rsta.2014.0221. [PMID: 26078348 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2014.0221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The control and prediction of complex chemical systems is a difficult problem due to the nature of the interactions, transformations and processes occurring. From self-assembly to catalysis and self-organization, complex chemical systems are often heterogeneous mixtures that at the most extreme exhibit system-level functions, such as those that could be observed in a living cell. In this paper, we outline an approach to understand and explore complex chemical systems using an automated droplet maker to control the composition, size and position of the droplets in a predefined chemical environment. By investigating the spatio-temporal dynamics of the droplets, the aim is to understand how to control system-level emergence of complex chemical behaviour and even view the system-level behaviour as a programmable entity capable of information processing. Herein, we explore how our automated droplet-maker platform could be viewed as a prototype chemical heterotic computer with some initial data and example problems that may be viewed as potential chemically embodied computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alon Henson
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | | | - Trevor Hinkley
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Soichiro Tsuda
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Leroy Cronin
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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16
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Gutierrez JMP, Hinkley T, Taylor JW, Yanev K, Cronin L. Evolution of oil droplets in a chemorobotic platform. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5571. [PMID: 25482304 PMCID: PMC4268700 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolution, once the preserve of biology, has been widely emulated in software, while physically embodied systems that can evolve have been limited to electronic and robotic devices and have never been artificially implemented in populations of physically interacting chemical entities. Herein we present a liquid-handling robot built with the aim of investigating the properties of oil droplets as a function of composition via an automated evolutionary process. The robot makes the droplets by mixing four different compounds in different ratios and placing them in a Petri dish after which they are recorded using a camera and the behaviour of the droplets analysed using image recognition software to give a fitness value. In separate experiments, the fitness function discriminates based on movement, division and vibration over 21 cycles, giving successive fitness increases. Analysis and theoretical modelling of the data yields fitness landscapes analogous to the genotype-phenotype correlations found in biological evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Trevor Hinkley
- WestCHEM, School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - James Ward Taylor
- WestCHEM, School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | | | - Leroy Cronin
- WestCHEM, School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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17
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OSHIMA S, NOMOTO T, TOYOTA T, FUJINAMI M. Surface Tension Gradient around an Alcohol Droplet Moving Spontaneously on a Water Surface. ANAL SCI 2014; 30:441-4. [DOI: 10.2116/analsci.30.441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shogo OSHIMA
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Chiba University
| | - Tomonori NOMOTO
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Chiba University
| | - Taro TOYOTA
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo
- Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology Agency
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18
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Tsuruki Y, Yoneda S, Shibuya Y, Isobe T, Nakajima A, Matsushita S. Spontaneous interfacial tension changes at the interface of a ZnCl2 nitrobenzene solution and aqueous stearyltrimethylammonium chloride solution. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2013.03.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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19
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Banno T, Miura S, Kuroha R, Toyota T. Mode changes associated with oil droplet movement in solutions of gemini cationic surfactants. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2013; 29:7689-7696. [PMID: 23706080 DOI: 10.1021/la401416h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Micrometer-sized self-propelled oil droplets in nonequilibrium systems have attracted much attention, since they form stable emulsions composed of oil, water, and surfactant which represent a primitive type of inanimate chemical machinery. In this work, we examined means of controlling the movement of oil droplets by studying the dynamics of n-heptyloxybenzaldehyde droplets in phosphate buffers containing alkanediyl-α,ω-bis(N-dodecyl-N,N-dimethylammonium bromide) (nG12) with either tetramethylene (4G12), octaethylene (8G12), or dodecamethylene (12G12) chains in the linker moiety. Significant differences in droplet dynamics were observed to be induced by changes in the linker structure of these gemini cationic surfactants. In a phosphate buffer containing 30 mM 4G12, self-propelled motion of droplets concurrent with the formation of molecular aggregates on their surfaces was observed, whereas the fusion of oil droplets was evident in both 8G12 and 12G12 solutions. We also determined that the surface activities and the extent of molecular self-assembly of the surfactants in phosphate buffer were strongly influenced by the alkyl chain length in the linker moiety. We therefore conclude that the surface activities of the gemini cationic surfactant have important effects on the oil-water interfacial tension of oil droplets and the formation of molecular aggregates and that both of these factors induce the unique movement of the droplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taisuke Banno
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
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Specific and reversible DNA-directed self-assembly of oil-in-water emulsion droplets. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:20320-5. [PMID: 23175791 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1214386109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Higher-order structures that originate from the specific and reversible DNA-directed self-assembly of microscopic building blocks hold great promise for future technologies. Here, we functionalized biotinylated soft colloid oil-in-water emulsion droplets with biotinylated single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides using streptavidin as an intermediary linker. We show the components of this modular linking system to be stable and to induce sequence-specific aggregation of binary mixtures of emulsion droplets. Three length scales were thereby involved: nanoscale DNA base pairing linking microscopic building blocks resulted in macroscopic aggregates visible to the naked eye. The aggregation process was reversible by changing the temperature and electrolyte concentration and by the addition of competing oligonucleotides. The system was reset and reused by subsequent refunctionalization of the emulsion droplets. DNA-directed self-assembly of oil-in-water emulsion droplets, therefore, offers a solid basis for programmable and recyclable soft materials that undergo structural rearrangements on demand and that range in application from information technology to medicine.
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Nanzai B, Ishikawa R, Igawa M. Spontaneous Motion of o-Toluidine Droplets: Repetitive Motion of Running and Squashing. CHEM LETT 2012. [DOI: 10.1246/cl.2012.609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ben Nanzai
- Department of Material and Life Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Kanagawa University
| | - Ryotaro Ishikawa
- Department of Material and Life Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Kanagawa University
| | - Manabu Igawa
- Department of Material and Life Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Kanagawa University
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Sumino Y, Kitahata H, Shinohara Y, Yamada NL, Seto H. Formation of a multiscale aggregate structure through spontaneous blebbing of an interface. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2012; 28:3378-3384. [PMID: 22268626 DOI: 10.1021/la204323t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The motion of an oil-water interface that mimics biological motility was investigated in a Hele-Shaw-like cell where elastic surfactant aggregates were formed at the oil-water interface. With the interfacial motion, millimeter-scale pillar structures composed of the aggregates were formed. The pillars grew downward in the aqueous phase, and the separations between pillars were roughly equal. Small-angle X-ray scattering using a microbeam X-ray revealed that these aggregates had nanometer-scale lamellar structures whose orientation correlated well with their location in the pillar structure. It is suggested that these hierarchical spatial structures are tailored by the spontaneous interfacial motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaka Sumino
- Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
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Matsushita S, Tanaka S, Yoshida K, Kobayashi K, Tsuruki Y, Shibuya Y, Isobe T, Nakajima A. Activation of the spontaneous motion of a nitrobenzene droplet by chlorobenzene blending. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2011.12.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Banno T, Kuroha R, Toyota T. pH-Sensitive self-propelled motion of oil droplets in the presence of cationic surfactants containing hydrolyzable ester linkages. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2012; 28:1190-1195. [PMID: 22149384 DOI: 10.1021/la2045338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Self-propelled oil droplets in a nonequilibrium system have drawn much attention as both a primitive type of inanimate chemical machinery and a dynamic model of the origin of life. Here, to create the pH-sensitive self-propelled motion of oil droplets, we synthesized cationic surfactants containing hydrolyzable ester linkages. We found that n-heptyloxybenzaldehyde oil droplets were self-propelled in the presence of ester-containing cationic surfactant. In basic solution prepared with sodium hydroxide, oil droplets moved as molecular aggregates formed on their surface. Moreover, the self-propelled motion in the presence of the hydrolyzable cationic surfactant lasted longer than that in the presence of nonhydrolyzable cationic surfactant. This is probably due to the production of a fatty acid by the hydrolysis of the ester-containing cationic surfactant and the subsequent neutralization of the fatty acid with sodium hydroxide. A complex surfactant was formed in the aqueous solution because of the cation and anion combination. Because such complex formation can induce both a decrease in the interfacial tension of the oil droplet and self-assembly with n-heptyloxybenzaldehyde and lauric acid in the aqueous dispersion, the prolonged movement of the oil droplet may be explained by the increase in heterogeneity of the interfacial tension of the oil droplet triggered by the hydrolysis of the ester-containing surfactant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taisuke Banno
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
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Sinz DK, Hanyak M, Darhuber AA. Immiscible surfactant droplets on thin liquid films: Spreading dynamics, subphase expulsion and oscillatory instabilities. J Colloid Interface Sci 2011; 364:519-29. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2011.08.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2011] [Revised: 07/19/2011] [Accepted: 08/21/2011] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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