Advanced nanomaterials for functional applications: Top research at our next Ask an Expert webinar
Find out more about what our experts will be discussing in our August 2024 Ask an Expert webinar on nanomaterials.
Following a fantastic April session on perovskites and piezoelectrics, another Ask an Expert session is coming! On August 29, 2024, at 16:30 CET, another round of great conversations between Malvern Panalytical experts and our customers awaits. This time, we’re focusing on advanced nanomaterials, and how they can be used in everything from therapeutics to electronics.
Ask an Expert is the perfect opportunity to find out more about the great discoveries being made with the help of Malvern Panalytical instruments. You’ll learn how to get the most out of your instrument and discover how leaders in their fields are using theirs to advance their research.
In our August 2024 webinar, we’ll be joined by Steven Street, a research fellow in polymer chemistry at the University of Birmingham, and Abimannan Sethurajaperumal, a PhD student at the SRM Institute of Science and Technology.
Abimannan and Steven were shortlisted for the Malvern Panalytical Scientific Award in 2023. The Scientific Award committee shortlists the top ten scientific papers and an overall winner from hundreds of submissions. In August’s Ask an Expert edition, Abimannan and Steven will present the work that earned them a coveted place on the Scientific Award shortlist!
Precision polymer nanofibers for effective nucleic acid therapeutics: Steven Street
Nucleic acid (NA) therapeutics hold great promise for the future of medicine. The most high-profile application so far has been in the COVID-19 vaccines. But despite their popularity, challenges remain around delivery. Precision nanomedicine could offer a solution. ‘Nanofiber micelleplexes’ are polymer nanofibers that optimize the delivery of DNA plasmids. Engineered for efficiency, these structures promise breakthroughs in targeted drug delivery and therapeutic applications.
Steven’s presentation compares nanofiber micelleplexes with other nanoparticle shapes, considering their optimal applications. He will also cover how dynamic light scattering and zeta potential analysis can yield further insights on particle size, stability, and nucleic acid complexation in NA delivery.
Defect-free graphene at scale: Abimannan Sethurajaperumal
Abimannan Sethurajaperumal will talk about his research on converting large, natural graphite flakes into thin, defect-free graphene at high yields. This can be difficult to achieve with conventional methods. An aqueous graphene dispersion can help, but graphite’s stability in water is limited.
Abimannan’s research helps address this by developing a method for producing thin graphene with the natural surfactant Sapindus mukorossi (SM). This surfactant is typically known for its medicinal benefits, but can also be used to exfoliate graphene nanosheets in water. When ultrasonicated in a water/surfactant mixture for 17 hours across 10 cycles, it can produce defect-free, micrometer-sized graphene with an 85% yield.
These results were confirmed with electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and XPS. In Abimannan’s presentation, you’ll discover more about the potential of natural surfactants to produce ultra-thin materials like this.
As always, August’s Ask an Expert will be a forward-looking discussion of some truly innovative ideas, from the very people who worked on them. Please join us on August 29 at 16:30 CET!
Secure your spot today – register now.