Issue 9, 2016

Enzymatically activated emulsions stabilised by interfacial nanofibre networks

Abstract

We report on-demand formation of emulsions stabilised by interfacial nanoscale networks. These are formed through biocatalytic dephosphorylation and self-assembly of Fmoc(9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl)dipeptide amphiphiles in aqueous/organic mixtures. This is achieved by using alkaline phosphatase which transforms surfactant-like phosphorylated precursors into self-assembling aromatic peptide amphiphiles (Fmoc-tyrosine-leucine, Fmoc-YL) that form nanofibrous networks. In biphasic organic/aqueous systems, these networks form preferentially at the interface thus providing a means of emulsion stabilisation. We demonstrate on-demand emulsification by enzyme addition, even after storage of the biphasic mixture for several weeks. Experimental (Fluorescence, FTIR spectroscopy, fluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy) and computational techniques (atomistic molecular dynamics) are used to characterise the interfacial self-assembly process.

Graphical abstract: Enzymatically activated emulsions stabilised by interfacial nanofibre networks

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
05 Nov 2015
Accepted
22 Jan 2016
First published
22 Jan 2016

Soft Matter, 2016,12, 2623-2631

Enzymatically activated emulsions stabilised by interfacial nanofibre networks

I. P. Moreira, I. R. Sasselli, D. A. Cannon, M. Hughes, D. A. Lamprou, T. Tuttle and R. V. Ulijn, Soft Matter, 2016, 12, 2623 DOI: 10.1039/C5SM02730F

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