Understanding chirality twists within nanoparticles can help several industries, including pharma<\/p>\n
The accurate measurement and characterisation of a single, twistednanoparticle in a laboratory for the first time has broughtthe pharmaceutical sector a step closer to produce and blend medicines on a microscopic scale.<\/p>\n
The groundbreaking observations were made by physicists at the University of Bath, United Kingdom who measure molecules at the nanoscale, 10,000 times smaller than a pinhead.<\/p>\n
The physicists studied the structure of gold and other materials, using a technique called the hyper-Rayleigh scattering optical activity, according to a July 20, 2020 press release from the university.<\/p>\n
The technique allowed scientists to see a clear image of a screw thread twist in the gold nanoparticles shape.<\/p>\n
Understanding the chirality twists within a material is critical for several industries, including the pharma sector, food additives, perfumes and pesticides.<\/p>\n
This is because the direction in which a molecule twists determines some of its properties, said the press release, citing examples.<\/p>\n
A molecule that twisted clockwise can produce the smell of lemons, while an anti-clockwise twist or a mirror-image of the lemon-smelling molecule produces the smell of oranges.<\/p>\n
Chirality is one of the most fundamental properties of nature, said Ventsislav Valev, who headed the project and is a professor at Bath University.<\/p>\n
It exists in sub-atomic particles, in molecules (DNA, proteins), in organs (the heart, the brain), in bio-materials (such as seashells), in storm clouds (tornadoes) and in the shape of galaxies (spirals hurling through space), he added.<\/p>\n
There is immense potential for the practical applications of ultra-sensitive chiral sensing. Local pharmacists will now be able to mix substances in a new manner, using minute droplets of active ingredients instead of large beakers.<\/p>\n
The ordinary consumer may, in the future, receive medicine in pills that are mini-labs rather than receiving them in bottles to be refrigerated, said Valev.<\/p>\n
A precise number of micro-droplets will flow through micro-channels upon cracking the pill. This will mix and produce the needed medicine, explained Valev.<\/p>\n
We can now aim to produce microdroplets containing a single chiral nanoparticle, to use as catalysts in chemical reactions, said PhD student Lukas Ohnoutek, the first author on the paper.<\/p>\n
Chiral materials, including machines, can be built up one nanoparticle at a time from the microdroplets in the future, said Valev.<\/p>\n
This is both a record and a milestone in nanotechnology, he added.<\/p>\n
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Single nanoparticle twists pave the way for medicines on demand: Study - Down To Earth Magazine<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Understanding chirality twists within nanoparticles can help several industries, including pharma The accurate measurement and characterisation of a single, twistednanoparticle in a laboratory for the first time has broughtthe pharmaceutical sector a step closer to produce and blend medicines on a microscopic scale. The groundbreaking observations were made by physicists at the University of Bath, United Kingdom who measure molecules at the nanoscale, 10,000 times smaller than a pinhead. Continue reading