Self-Assembled Supramolecular Architectures

This book will describe fundamentals and recent developmentsin the area of Self-Assembled Supramolecular Architecture andtheir relevance to the understanding of the functionalityof membranes as delivery systems for activeingredients. As the heirarchial architectures determine theirperformance capabilities, attention will be paid to theoretical anddesign aspects related to the construction of lyotropic liquidcrystals: mesophases such as lamellar, hexagonal, cubic, spongephase micellosomes. The book will bring to the reader mechanisticaspects, compositional considerations, transition within phases,solubilization capacities, drug entrapment and release mechanismsand transmembrane, transdermal, and other transportphenomena. It will stress the importance of thesemesostructures to crystallization and polymorphism of drugs, fats,and nutraceuticals and will discuss regioselectivity of organic andenzymatic reactions that take place at interfaces andwithin the channels of the mesophase. The book will bring studieson the use of these mesophase as crystallization or particulationmedia for the formation of nanoparticles andnanocrystals. Chapters will discuss applications in the areasof pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, plastics, paper,agro-chemistry and industrial applications.