Collaborative research: impact of alcohol and alkanoic acids on reverse micelle formation and properties: integration of research and education from the novice to expert

DePauw University received a $230,000 collaborative research project grant awarded September 1, 2025, through the National Science Foundation's Division of Chemistry under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049). In partnership with Colorado State University, the project will investigate the formation and properties of reverse micelles—nanoscale self-assembled structures that trap water and serve as models for studying confined solvents. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, time-resolved fluorescence methods, and dynamic light scattering, the research team led by Professor Bridget Gourley at DePauw and Professor Nancy Levinger at Colorado State University will examine how alcohols and alkanoic acids affect the structure and behavior of water confined within these structures.

The three-year project (completion date August 31, 2028) will deliver fundamental scientific knowledge regarding confined solvent behavior with potential applications in drug discovery, critical mineral extraction, and environmental remediation. Additionally, the award will provide integrated research and educational opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students in a collaborative, multi-institution environment, contributing to workforce development in the physical sciences. The project fulfills the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program's dual mandate of advancing scientific knowledge while strengthening the nation's scientific enterprise through research and educational integration.

Abstract

With support from the chemical structure and dynamics (CSD) program in the division of chemistry, professor nancy levinger at colorado state university and professor bridget gourley at depauw university will investigate self-assembled structures of a few hundred to a few hundred thousand molecules. These nanoscopic structures, which are soap bubbles turned inside out, trap water inside and serve as models to explore physical and chemical properties of solvents in confined structures. Confined solvents are important in biology, manufacturing, and other fields, but they do not behave like their macroscopic liquid counterparts. Confinement can alter the motion of the molecules in the small solvent pool, and added solute molecules can disrupt its structure. Professors levinger and gourley and their students, will seed these structures with a series of molecular additives, and use a combination of optical and magnetic spectroscopies to see where the additives reside and watch them move in nanoscale confinement. Their discoveries could provide fundamental insight into how confined solvents behave, which could contribute to solutions in technologies ranging from drug discovery to the extraction of critical minerals and toxins from the environment. The project will provide research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students in a collaborative, multi-institution environment, thereby contributing to the development of a scientific workforce. The project will use one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies, time-resolved fluorescence methods, and dynamic light scattering to explore the effects of molecular additives on the structure and dynamics water confined in reverse micelles that are seeded with alkanols and alkanoic acids. Measurements performed on a series of straight chain alcohols and carboxylic acids will distinguish the role of alkyl chain length versus its head group function in determining the additive location in the reverse micelle, thus providing insight to the molecule?s chemical potential in each location. These studies will: i) determine quaternary phase diagrams for the reverse micelle systems; II) correlate additive structures and other properties with their location in the reverse micelles; and III) determine molecular and bulk additive properties most useful in predicting behavior of additive-infused reverse micelle systems. Measurements will also be performed using perfluoroalkanoic acids, and the results will be compared with their alkanoic acids analogs. The group will study team mentoring relationships, with the goal of identifying the aspects of the research environment that students find most impactful to their development. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.