The uses of vesicles as vehicles for the controlled delivery of material and for separations processes are exciting possibilities. We are interested in the structure and stability of vesicular dispersions, and in the nature of transport across the bilayer wall of the vesicle. Studies of the evolution of vesicle populations with time, the transport of ions across vesicle bilayers, facilitated ionic transport using ionophores, and evaluation of vesicle dispersions for use in a separations scheme are currently underway. Theoretical understanding of the equilibrium between vesicles, micelles, oligomers, and liquid crystals remains an important goal. The biomedical aspects of the solubilization of cholesterol in bile salt/phospholipid vesicles and micelles being investigated in collaboration with others. We have also discovered mixtures of anionic and cationic surfactants in which vesicles form spontaneously. This work has opened new investigations in the areas of biocompatible and UV active hydrotropes.

 

Recent and Current Researchers:
Yamaira González
Travis Hodgdon
Selected Publications:
  • "Influence of pH on the Micelle to Vesicle Transition in Aqueous Mixtures of Sodium Dodecyl Benzenesulfonate with Histidine", Y. I. Gonzalez, H. Nakanishi, M. Stjerndahl and E. W. Kaler, J. Phys. Chem. B, 109, 11675 (2005).
  • "Spontaneous Vesicle Formation and Phase Behavior in Mixtures of an Anionic Surfactant with Imidazoline Compounds", Y. I. Gonzalez, M. Stjerndahl, D. Danino, and E. W. Kaler, Langmuir, 20, 7053 (2004).
  • "Interaction of Apolipoprotein A-I with Lecithin-Cholesterol Vesicles in the Presence of Phospholipase C", Gudhetim M. V., González, Y. I., Lee, S.P., Wrenn, S.P., Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-  Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, 1635, 127 (2003).
  • "Structural Fixation of Spontaneous Vesicles in Aqueous Mixtures of Polymerizable Anionic and Cationic Surfactants", Liu, S., González, Y. I., Kaler, E.W., Langmuir, 19, 10732 (2003).
  • "Silica Hollow Spheres by Templating of Catanionic Vesicles", H. Hentze, S. R. Raghavan, C. A. McKelvey and E. W. Kaler, Langmuir, 19, 1069 (2003).
  • "Templating Vesicles, Microemulsions and Lyotropic Mesophases by Organic Polymerization Processes", H. P. Hentze, C. C. Co, C. A. McKelvey and E. W. Kaler, Topics in Current Chemistry, 226, 197 (2003).
  • "Characterization of Nanostructured Hollow Polymer Spheres with Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS)", C. A. McKelvey and E. W. Kaler, J. Colloid and Interface Sci., 245, 68 (2002).
  • "The Origins of Stability of Spontaneous Vesicles", H. T. Jung, B. Coldren, J. A. Zasadzinski, D. J. Iampietro and E. W. Kaler, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 98, 1353 (2001).
  • "Size and Polydispersity of Polymer Particles obtained by Cryo-TEM, SANS and DLS", S. Burauer, L. Belkoura, R. Strey, C. C. Co and E. W. Kaler, Elektronenmikroscopie, 21, 20 (2001).
  • "Polymerization of Equilibrium Vesicles", Langmuir, 13, 6447 (1997).

  • "Structural Mechanisms of Bile Salt-Induced Growth of Small Unilamellar Cholesterol-Lecithin Vesicles", Biochemistry, 36, 5633 (1997).

  • "Phase Behavior of Aqueous Mixtures of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide (CTAB) and Sodium Octyl Sulfate (SOS)", J. Phys. Chem. 100, 5874 (1996).

  • "Phase Behavior and Structures of Mixtures of Anionic and Cationic Surfactants", J. Phys. Chem. 96, 6698 (1992).

  • "Vesicle Aging and Reversion", Langmuir 6, 125 (1990).

  • "Spontaneous Vesicle Formation in Aqueous Mixtures of Single-Tailed Surfactants", Science 245, 1371 (1989).
Patents:
  • "Spontaneous Equilibrium Surfactant Vesicles", US Patent 5,165,994.