Thermal Characterization Equipment for Diverse Particulate Materials Research and Education

Mississippi State University, Mississippi State MS

Investigators

Abstract

0933493 Hill The objective of this equipment proposal is to acquire a suite of thermal characterization instrumentation including a modulated differential scanning calorimeter (MDSC), a simultaneous thermal analyzer (STA) that includes DSC and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and a TGA-IR interface accessory. The combined features of these instruments will allow for high sensitivity, high resolution, differentiation of complex thermal events, and resolution of weak and close transitions in lipid polymorphs, polymeric nanoparticles, and cellular membrane materials. Materials research at Mississippi State University (MSU) is limited by current thermal analysis equipment because: 1) existing DSCs do not have cooling to allow for operation at sub-ambient temperatures, 2) existing DSCs cannot operate in a modulated temperature mode and therefore cannot detect subtle phase transitions, 3) no STA is present and so simultaneous DCS and TGA of a sample cannot be performed, and 4) existing DSCs and TGAs are fully utilized. The requested MDSC/STA/TGA-IR suite will provide much needed capabilities to allow for innovative research, such as that proposed in lipid crystals and nanocrystals, thermally responsive nanoparticles, renewal polymers, and membrane chemistry. Intellectual Merit: Acquisition of these instruments will provide the infrastructure necessary to make substantial progress in three important fields of particulate materials research: crystallization, polymers, and biomembrane chemistry. While diverse, the PIs proposed work in each of these fields is based on materials characterization and requires access to research grade thermal analysis instrumentation. The PIs prior efforts have been significantly hampered by the lack of low or no cost access to adequate thermal analysis equipment. The MDSC, STA, and TGA-IR interface will allow for both new and expanded research. For lipids, thermal analysis will determine polymorphic form and the presence of hydrates or solvates, which will allow optimization of crystallization conditions; high resolution measurements will enable novel research in the area of solid lipid nanoparticles (NPs) as well as with nanostructured lipid carriers. Stimuli responsive polymers will be grafted from NPs using surface confined living radical polymerization techniques that allow for control over molecular weights and grafting densities. A series of thermally responsive core-shell NPs will be produced and the thermal analysis suite requested will allow for detection of weak and strong phase transitions, differentiation between volatile loss, thermal decomposition, and phase transitions, and evolved gas identification. For biological membrane research, thermal characterization will help assess antigen inclusion into liposomal membranes (model cells) for comparison with the physiologically relevant red blood cell system. Next, nanoparticle-conjugated ABO antigens in both the liposomes and red blood cells will be examined and will help determine the altered ABO antigens impact on red blood cell responses in dielectrophoretic microdevices. Broader Impacts: This instrumentation will improve the materials characterization infrastructure of the department, college, and university. These characterization tools will be utilized by the PIs in their course instruction. Long term outcomes include innovative particulates research and enhanced student education and training. The PIs are committed to actively recruiting undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented groups to participate in their research activities. Education will be integrated with research via instrument usage in graduate student research, and by incorporating concepts and research data into four elective courses for engineering and science students. The instruments will provide students with access to cutting edge thermal characterization techniques; and the elective courses will provide concrete connections between theory and application, and interdisciplinary study. This enhanced training will provide a long term benefit to society via student contributions in their respective disciplines. Hill's lipid research has multiple applications in foods, personal care products, and pharmaceuticals. Walters research on thermally responsive NPs can lead to the development of new drug delivery methods, data storage technologies, and selective separations. Minerick's biomedical microdevice research has the potential to impact blood cell diagnostic microdevices and contributes to sustainability by decreasing resource utilization for chemical analysis. The equipment requested will transform research capabilities for each of the PIs research efforts at Mississippi State.