Scientists at Virginia Tech have taken a big stride toward self-assembly in nanomaterials by creating nonwoven fibrous mats from a small organic molecule in a single step. The result is a new nanoscale material with potential applications where biocompatible materials are required, such as scaffolds for tissue growth and drug delivery. Their research will be presented in the Jan. 20 issue of Science, in the article, "Phospholipid Nonwoven Electrospun Membranes."

"Phospholipids, which are the main component of cell membranes in the human body or in an apple, are exquisite in terms of their ability to self-organize," explains co-author and chemistry professor Timothy E. Long.

The researchers fabricated this natural compound into a sub micron fiber -- 100 times smaller than a human hair. "It is the first demonstration that electrostatic spinning, or electrospinning, a polymer processing technique, can be used with a small molecule to produce a fiber," said Long. The materials will spontaneously organize into cylindrical or worm-like strands to form membranes. Under the microscope, the resulting mat shows a porous nonwoven structure.

Long said that the future opportunities are vast. "Our research group continues to fabricate molecules that self organize and can be electrospun. Potential applications include drug delivery, that is, a carrier and matrix to control the release of drugs."

Long's co-authors include Matthew G. McKee, a recent Ph.D. graduate in chemical engineering from Virginia Tech now at P&G, current Virginia Tech chemistry students John M. Layman and Matthew P. Cashion.