Chiral amphiphilic molecules are known to self assemble into various microstructural morphologies. Of these, the two that have attracted the most interest from a technological point of view are helical ribbons and cylindrical tubules. Tubules have been observed in a number of systems including diacetylenic lipids, bile, surfactants and glutamates. In particular, the tubules formed from the synthetic lipid diacetylenic phosphatidylcholine have been extensively studied and provide a valuable insight into molecular self assembly. However their lack of mechanical strength renders them of little use in advanced materials chemistry. For these structures to be utilised in any technological application, they must be made more rugged to ultimately withstand mass-production techniques. By using the lipid tubule template, these weak lipids can be converted to a more robust structure with the same geometry.
In my work, the effect of coating the tubules with silicate materials has been investigated. Two synthetic strategies have been compared and analysed using Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, Powder X-ray Diffraction and Diffuse Transmittance / Reflectance UV-VIS Spectroscopy. The reactions been lipid tubules and silver is also under investigation.
During the (all too brief) periods that I am not in the lab, I can generally be found propping up disreputable bars in Bristol with a pint of cider in one hand and a crossword in the other. Failing that, I generally entertain myself by cooking vast quantities of food and eating it, whilst watching medical dramas or the F1 Grand Prix.