Research Areas :

Biophysical Chemistry of Drug/Gene Delivery; Molecular Self-Assembly; Enantioseparation by Capillary Electrophoresis.

Research Interests:

A major area of my research is concerned with the self-assemblies (such as micelles, vesicles etc.) of synthetic surfactants, especially chiral surfactants. With a wide range of techniques available it is natural that we cover a wide range of problems. My group is interested in how the molecular geometry affects the association properties of ionic surfactants in aqueous and saline solutions. This is primarily achieved by the use of fluorescence, rheology, static and dynamic light scattering, and electron and optical microscopy. One of the areas my group currently focusing attention on is drug and gene delivery. Our aim is to prepare stable unilamellar vesicles that can be used for drug/gene delivery, formulations of health-care products, and water pollution control.

Our research activities also include investigation of polymer dynamics in aqueous solution. Water-soluble polymers constitute an important class of material which find application in a wide variety of technologies concerned with, for example, the production of controlled-release systems, agrochemicals, adhesives, coatings, enhancers for oil recovery, foodstuffs, rheology modifiers, personal care products, superabsorbents, catalysis, inks and coding systems. In recent years, increasing environmental pressure to utilize safer, "greener" working practices has resulted in a dramatic expansion in the use of such water-soluble/dispersible systems in industrial processes. Consequently, much effort has been directed, by both academics and industrialists alike, towards investigating and understanding the physical behavior and interactions of aqueous borne macromolecules. Within this class of materials, water-soluble polymers that exhibit "smart" behavior (i.e. which have the ability to change their conformation in response to an external stimulus such as temperature or pH) are of particular interest. The use of fluorescence spectroscopy allows examination of ultra-dilute polymer solutions, permitting examination of purely intra-molecular effects.

We have recently initiated (first time in this country) a program of research aimed at enantioseparations of drugs, and small organic racemates by electrokinetic capillary chromatography (EKC). This technique uses self-assemblies of optically pure surfactant monomers as well as polymers as pseudo-stationary phases. His group has been able to demonstrate improved selectivity and optical resolution of enantiomers by use of vesicles.