Surface Chemistry

Self-assembled structures from Proteins, lipids, polymers and nanoparticles are increasingly finding applications in a wide range of fields including nanotechnology and nanomedicine. Such ordered soft materials can adopt an astonishing range of complex shapes and structures, ordered in one, two or three dimensions, over length scales stretching from few nanometers, to microns. We focus on the design and development of multi-functional nanomaterials via the use of non-covalent interactions in colloidal entities like proteins, polymers, nanoparticles, and liquid crystals. A combination of scattering (DLS & SAXS), spectroscopy (UV-Vis, FTIR & Fluorescence) and microscopy (SEM, TEM & POM) techniques are using to investigate the self-assembled nanostructures in solution, bulk, and thin film samples. These basic understanding of functional soft materials will be engineered to create new technologies in drug delivery and diagnostics. These studies will also aim to secure industrial consultancy, technology transfer and/or founding of student-led start-ups.

• Soft materials
• Non-covalent interactions
• Drug delivery

Recent publications/patents

1. Ion-Mediated Morphological Diversity in Protein Amyloid Systems. Hussein Chaaban, Jijo J. Vallooran, Marco van de Weert, Vito `1Foderà, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 2022, 13 (16), 3586-3593.
2. Stereochemical Purity Can Induce a New Crystalline Mesophase in Phytantriol Lipids. Jijo J. Vallooran, Michael Duss, Philip Ansorge, Raffaele Mezzenga, Ehud M Landau, Langmuir, 2020, 36 (31), 9132-9141.
3. Spatiotemporal control of enzyme‐induced crystallization under lyotropic liquid crystal nanoconfinement. Jijo J. Vallooran, Salvatore Assenza, Raffaele Mezzenga, Angewandte Chemie, 2019, 131 (22), 7367-7371.

Our Researchers

1. Jijo V.J

   Asst. Professor