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Soft Interfacial Chemistry

  • TAKIUE Takanori†, Professor
  • MATSUO Mika†, Assistant Professor
  • † Faculty of Arts and Science
Soft interfaces such as those at the air/water and oil/water interfaces, as well as lipid bilayers serve as the fundamental building blocks of soft matter, including bubbles, emulsions, and biological membranes, and find applications in various fields such as food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. In our laboratory, we conduct complementary research that integrates experiments with molecular simulations on the basis of colloid and interface science, with the aim of elucidating and controlling the correlation between the function and structure of soft matter.

1. Phase transition and molecular miscibility in the adsorbed film and aggregates

Figure 1. Self-assembled porphyrin nanotube including linear array of fullerene C60.

The thermodynamic analysis of interfacial tension data is used to quantitatively discuss phase transition phenomena and molecular miscibility in adsorbed films at A/W and O/W interfaces, based on the construction of 2D phase diagram (phase diagram of adsorption) and calculation of excess thermodynamic quantities. The formation of aggregates in aqueous solution including micelles and vesicles and molecular miscibility in the aggregates are also explored thermodynamically.

J. Phys. Chem. B, 109, 1210–1225 (2005)
J. Phys. Chem. B, 118, 12451–12461 (2014)

2. Heterogeneity of soft interfacial films

We are currently evaluating the structure of adsorbed monolayers and lipid bilayers by microscopic observation (fluorescence microscope and Brewster angle microscope), X-ray scattering measurements (X-ray reflection and small angle X-ray scattering), and fluorescence measurements (FRET). Recent studies have investigated the relationship between the heterogeneous morphology of interfacial films (2D phase separation) and the line tension generated at the domain boundary. It was found that the heterogeneous molecular distribution at the interface and differences in elasticity of the interfacial film affect the line tension pf pN order, and that a decrease in line tension causes the formation of small domains on the order of nm. These results can serve as a model for “biomembrane rafts”.