Abstract: Supramolecular gelation is a fascinating self-assembly process that closely mimics important natural and biological events. The supramolecular nature of such materials imparts the system with reversibility and adaptivity. The individual or collective contributions of various non-covalent interactions, such as hydrogen bonding, π– π stacking, metal–ligand coordination, host–guest interactions, and van der Waals interactions, are at the focal point of the structural evolution during an assembly process. Supramolecular gels have been studied extensively in the last few decades, mostly by exploiting the functional outputs for technological and medicinal applications. In comparison, pure structural investigations of supramolecular gel materials are rather limited. The lack of convincing structural data has multiple implications. The two most crucial factors for structural investigations are the experimental time scale and the sensitivity of the measurements towards structural evolution. Herein, we will investigate self-assembly processes of supramolecular nanoassmeblies under ambient versus non-ambient conditions. Specifically, we will probe how real-time measurements give valuable insights about nucleation and self-assembly of materials. The information obtained yields valuable information about structure-function correlation of materials which could have applications in several areas, including pharmaceutics and personal care.
Bio: Dr. Harshita Kumari, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of Cincinnati. Dr. Kumari’s work in the area of solution chemistry of supramolecular complexes is widely recognized. She integrates neutron scattering with supramolecular chemistry to unravel structural altercations in solution.
Her current research focuses on integrating principles of modern biophysics into material and formulation science towards the development of novel skin care, oral care and hair care products. Her research projects focus on understanding mechanisms of delivery and deposition of actives onto the skin/hair and elucidating the parameters to control them. In addition, her research focuses on developing methods to construct novel nanometric delivery vehicles, based on the principles of self-assembly and molecular recognition. Her work is published in several peer reviewed journals.