Explains how our growing understanding of lyotropic liquid crystals opens the door to important industrial applications

With contributions from leading investigators from around the world, this book tackles the topic of lyotropic liquid crystals from both fundamental and applied perspectives. The first group of chapters discusses our current fundamental understanding of lyotropic liquid crystals, emphasizing lipid-based systems and rod-like solvent dispersions. The next group of chapters explores applications, with a focus on drug delivery systems.

Presenting all the latest basic research discoveries as well as new and emerging applications of lyotropic liquid crystals, the book:

• Describes the physics of self-assembly of lyotropic liquid crystals, introducing recent concepts such as self-consistent field theory
• Sets forth the available experimental characterization methods of lyotropic liquid crystalline systems
• Examines the hierarchical organization of lyotropic liquid crystals, from the lipid length scale to the macroscopic organization of emulsified liquid crystalline systems
• Reviews current strategies using lyotropic liquid crystals as templates for the synthesis and alignment of nanostructured materials
• Explores the use of lyotropic liquid crystals as drug delivery vehicles
• Explains how lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles are used as nanocarriers to target cells expressing brain receptors

References at the end of each chapter serve as a gateway to the literature, enabling readers to explore each individual topic in greater depth.

Self-Assembled Supramolecular Architectures will help researchers not only understand the fundamentals of lyotropic liquid crystals, but also their potential as major carriers of bioactives for a broad range of applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.