Structural and Thermal Studies of Soft Matter Systems for Industrial Applications

In this seminar, I will present how I have used thermal and structural analysis to understand the structure and stability of soft matter systems; from phospholipids used in dermatological formulations to chocolate. During my PhD, I used X-Ray scattering and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) to study the structure of phospholipids. Phospholipids may be used in dermatological formulations as the main structural component, but how stable is the structure when other components in the formulation are added? I will present results on the influence of humectants, hygroscopic molecules used in skin creams to provide hydration, on the structure of 1, 2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC). Of course, pure lipids are too expensive to be used in mass production, therefore the influence of impurities on the structure of lipid mixtures that are used in industry was also studied and their results presented. Before joining Edinburgh as a postdoctoral research associate and working with ECFP, I worked at Reading Scientific Services Limited, a subsidiary of Mondelez International. I will present how I used DSC during my industrial role and also present some studies on how we can utilise our newly installed isothermal calorimeter for soft matter systems.