Abstract
Complex Fluids (FCx) are materials of great interest not only for their basic physical and chemical characteristics, for example, collective behavior of its basic constituents, as well as the numerous technological applications (sensors, electro-optical devices and vector drugs). This project involves three families of FCx, liquid crystals, magnetic colloids and some fluids of biological interest, particularly solutions of human lipoproteins. Besides them, the project aims the study of isotropic and liquid-crystalline elastomers, with and without the inclusion of magnetic nanoparticles. The Project will support part of the research lines of two sub-groups of the Complex Fluids Group of the IFUSP and the Research Group of Prof. Dr. Raquel Teixeira Nágila Damasceno of the School of Public Health at USP. With respect to liquid crystals we will focus our study in the physical properties of phase transitions and critical behavior, the formulation of new lyotropic mixtures that present the biaxial nematic phase, and their nonlinear optical properties. Concerning the magnetic colloids, also called ferrofluids, we will focus our research in their nonlinear optical properties, in particular non-linear absorption. Phenomena such as two photons absorption and free carriers absorption will be investigated with the Z-scan technique at different time scales. With regard to the fluids of biological interest, the project focuses on the study of structural and optical properties of high-density (HDL) and low-density (LDL) human lipoproteins. The X-ray diffraction and small-angle scattering results allow the structural determination of these lipoproteins in special conditions of modification in vivo and in vitro. The optical experiments will be used to determine physical parameters of the lipoproteins such as, thermal diffusivity, the nonlinear refractive index and absorption under different conditions of the samples. One type of modification of lipoproteins to be investigated is that of electronegative low-density human lipoprotein, encountered in the plasma, and that present intense atherogenic activity. The sizes of lipoproteins, as well as their size distribution, will be investigated. In addition to the investigations carried out with plasma lipoproteins separated by ultracentrifugation, there we plan to do an essay in patients with coronary risk to assess the quality of their low-density lipoproteins during and after supplementation with omega-3, 6 and 9 alone compared to placebo. This quality will be investigated by measuring the nonlinear optical response of the samples using techniques of condensed matter physics and in addition, using biochemical techniques. With respect to the isotropic and liquid crystalline elastomers we will focus our studies on structural and mechanical characteristics of these materials. In particular we will investigate the cellulose-based elastomers, where mesogenic groups are placed in the elastomeric matrix, which imposes on the material characteristics of both soft and liquid crystalline materials. The dynamic light scattering will be used to investigate their dynamical properties. The sub-projects that integrate this proposal and are integrated on a thematic of investigation of complex fluids are: 1. Study and physical-chemical characterization and ferro-hydrodynamics of ferrofluids; 2. Study and physical-chemical characterization of liquid crystals; 3. Study and physical-chemical-biological characterization of fluids of biological interest, in particular the components of cholesterol (LDL, HDL, and fractions); 4. Impact of consumption of omega-3 omega-6 and omega-9 in LDL and HDL; 5. Structural Biophysics of biological complexes; 6. Study and physical-chemical characterization of elastomers. (AU)
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