Academic literature on the topic 'Polymeric Nanocolloids'

This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of low-intensity visible light responsive nanocolloids of a Pt-based drug using a 2D and three-dimensional (3D) in vitro cancer cell model. Biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric nanocolloids, obtained using the ultrasonication method coupled with Layer by Layer technology, were characterized in terms of size (100 ± 20 nm), physical stability, drug loading (78%), and photoactivation through spectroscopy studies. The in vitro biological effects were assessed in terms of efficacy, apoptosis induction, and DNA-Pt adducts formation. Biological experiments were performed both in dark and under visible light irradiation conditions, exploiting the complex photochemical properties. The light-stimuli responsive nanoformulation gave a significant enhancement in drug bioactivity. This allowed us to achieve satisfying results by using nanomolar drug concentration (50 nM), which was ineffective in darkness condition. Furthermore, our nanocolloids were validated in 3D in vitro spheroids using confocal microscopy and cytofluorimetric assay to compare their behavior on culture in 2D monolayers. The obtained results confirmed that these nanocolloids are promising tools for delivering Pt-based drugs.

Nanoparticles are said to be active particles which are entrapped in the surface of the polymeric core. Since nanoparticles were used in medical and biotechnological fields, there is a great demand in the preparation of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles are prepared from different substances; mainly, polymer material is used in the field of preparing nanomaterials. There are different methods involved in the preparation of nanoparticles from the polymer. Various experiments and research studies were carried out on the basic preparation of nanoparticles. Emulsion polymerization could be used to make polymeric nanoparticles with a high solid concentration without the need of surfactants. To make carboxylate polystyrene beads or amidine polystyrene nanoparticles, polymeric nanocolloids containing surface functional groups were produced. In this research, the preparation of nanoparticles from emulsion polymerization is represented along with the size and distribution material.

This paper describes the manufacture of binary nanostructured films utilizing nanosphere lithography and ultraviolet (UV) roller imprinting. To manufacture the binary nanofeatured template, polystyrene nanocolloids of two distinct dimensions (900 and 300 nm) were primarily self-assembly spun coated on a silicon substrate. A roller imprinting facility equipped with polydimethylsiloxane molds and ultraviolet radiation was employed. During the imprinting procedure, the roller was steered by a motor and compressed the ultraviolet-curable polymeric layer against the glass substrate, where the nanofeatured layer was cured by the UV light source. Binary nanofeatured films were thus obtained. The influence of distinct processing variables on the imprinting of nanofeatured films was investigated. The empirical data suggested that with appropriate processing conditions, binary nanofeatured plastic films can be satisfactorily manufactured. It also demonstrated that roller imprinting combined with ultraviolet radiation can offer an easy yet effective method to prepare binary nanofeatured films, with a miniatured processing time and enhanced part quality.

We report the fabrication of nanofeatured polymeric films using nanosphere lithography and ultraviolet (UV) soft-mold roller embossing and show an illuminative example of their application to solar cells. To prepare the nanofeatured template, polystyrene nanocolloids of two distinct sizes (900 and 300 nm) were overlaid on silicon substrates using a spin coater. A lab-made soft-mold roller embossing device equipped with a UV light source was adopted. A casting method was employed to replicate the nanofeatured template onto polydimethylsiloxane, which was used as the soft mold. During the embossing procedure, the roller was driven by a step motor and compressed the UV-curable resin against the glass substrate to form the nanofeatured layer, which was subsequently cured by UV radiation. Polymer films with nanoscaled features were thus obtained. The influence of distinct processing variables on the reproducibility of the nanofeatured films was explored. The empirical outcomes demonstrate that UV soft-mold roller embossing offers a simple yet potent way of producing nanofeatured films.

Oral candidiasis has a high rate of development, especially in immunocompromised patients. Immunosuppressive and cytotoxic therapies in hospitalized HIV and cancer patients are known to induce the poor management of adverse reactions, where local and systemic candidiasis become highly resistant to conventional antifungal therapy. The development of oral candidiasis is triggered by several mechanisms that determine oral epithelium imbalances, resulting in poor local defense and a delayed immune system response. As a result, pathogenic fungi colonies disseminate and form resistant biofilms, promoting serious challenges in initiating a proper therapeutic protocol. Hence, this study of the literature aimed to discuss possibilities and new trends through antifungal therapy for buccal drug administration. A large number of studies explored the antifungal activity of new agents or synergic components that may enhance the effect of classic drugs. It was of significant interest to find connections between smart biomaterials and their activity, to find molecular responses and mechanisms that can conquer the multidrug resistance of fungi strains, and to transpose them into a molecular map. Overall, attention is focused on the nanocolloids domain, nanoparticles, nanocomposite synthesis, and the design of polymeric platforms to satisfy sustained antifungal activity and high biocompatibility with the oral mucosa.

Background: Nanosystems based on PEG-PLGA copolymer have attracted increasing interest in several biomedicine fields, due to their unique properties. Commonly, PEG-PLGA copolymer was used to formulate nanoparticles (NPs) for drug delivery applications. Only recently, the engineering of polymeric nanofibrous membrane able to be use like drug nanocarrier was investigated. Objective: The goal of this work is the development of two new drug delivery systems based on PEGylated-PLGA nanofibrous scaffolds, obtained by electrospinning deposition, simultaneous loaded with: i) silibinin, a therapeutic agent, ii) Au/Ag and iii) non-toxic Fe2O3 magnetic nanoparticles. Another interest aspect of the present work regards how the morphological structure can influence the drug release which has been fine-tuned by two external stimuli: a light source and a magnetic field. Methods: Noble metal nanocolloids were prepared in water by the pulsed laser ablation technique. The PEG-PLGA@Au/Ag-SLB added with Fe2O3-PVA nanofibers were fabricated by the electrospinning deposition method. Results: The use of “Surface Plasmon Resonance”-mediated localized photothermal effect, determined by the nanoparticles resonant absorption of visible radiation, allows to these systems to be able to employ for photothermal drug delivery therapies in proximity of tumor cells. All data obtained about the fiber scaffolds are compared to NPs based on the same PEG-PLGA copolymer, loaded with silibinin, Fe2O3 and Au/Ag nanoparticles alternatively. Nanofibers respects to NPs, showed interesting sustained responsive silibinin release for at least 60 h, without the burst effect. A diffusion-based theoretical model approach allowed to precisely describe the release mechanism. Conclusion: The effective and controlled silibilin drug release, upon application of either light irradiation or magnetic field for a definite time interval, has been demonstrated. Under the light stimulus, the fiber-shaped nanosystem reached a cumulative drug release value as high as 70% in the long time. On the overall, the information obtained could be useful to design suitable “on demand” nanocomposites in view of a therapeutic treatments protocol that requires a fast pharmacological action.

Abstract Nanotechnology is a promising branch of the medical field, directed to improve diagnostic and therapeutics strategies, applying nanovectors as drug delivery systems. Efficient encapsulation of anticancer drugs in nanocolloids and microcapsules was recently developed by G. Ciccarella research group (1). Based on our collaboration with the Nantional Nanotechnology Laboratory of the University of Salento and our previous experience with target therapies, we encapsulated BEZ235, a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor (mTOR). BEZ235 efficiently blocks the dysfunctional activation of the PI3K/mTOR pathway in cellular and in vivo settings, thus inhibiting the growth and proliferation of various cancer cells, and phase I/II clinical trials were open in solid cancer. However the scarse solubility limited further development of this promising compound. In order to overcome the solubility issue BEZ235-loaded nanocapsules were generated by the stepwise adsorption of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes into biocompatible CaCO3 cores. First nanocapsules were tested for biocompatibility. The exposition of lymphoma cell lines to empty nanocapsules up to 48 hours, did not induce any cititoxicity, confirming their biocompatibility. Second, encapsulated BEZ235 was compared with free-drug to test the cytotoxicity in a T lymphoma cell line (HUT78) by MTT assay (Fig. 1). The results suggested that nanoencapsulated-BEZ235 was extremely efficient compared with free-BEZ235, reaching IC50 just after 5 hours of exposure compared with an IC65% at 48 hours with the free drug. A validated LC-MS/MS method was developed in order to quantify intracellular concentration of BEZ235 over time. Intracellular concentration of BEZ235 in the lymphoma cell line was consistent with biological results since the internalization kinetic and efficiency was increased by the coating. In order to confirm that the encapsuled-BEZ235 was still effective on cell apoptosis, we tested free BEZ and encapsulated BEZ235 at a concentration of 1µM in T cell lymphoma cell lines. Encapsulated-BEZ235 induced apoptosis evidenced by the cleavage of caspase 8, 9 and 3 at an earlier time point compared with free BEZ235 and at significantly lower concentration. We also confirmed that the encapsulated-BEZ235 maintained its effect on the target mTOR/AKT pathway: p-AKT was dephosphorylated at 5h while the free BEZ235 operates at least after 24 hours at concentrations 100 times higher, as previously demonstrated (2). Keeping in mind a future clinical application of these polymeric particles/capsules, our data can be regarded as a promising new nanotechnology-based strategy to improve the efficacy and bioavailability of old and new drugs. Functional biological studies of BEZ235-encapsulated carrier and its mechanism of internalization are already under way, and animal in vivo studies to evaluated toxicity and distribution of the nanocapsuled compound are ongoing. 1 F. Baldassare et al., Macromolecular Bioscience, Volume 12, Issue 5, pages 656-665, 2012 2 Civallero M, Cosenza M, Marcheselli L, Pozzi S, Sacchi S. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2012 Nov;21(11):1597-606. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

The present investigation is aimed at the biomedical aspects of nanomaterials in medicine and health sciences. Synthesis of nanomaterials can be categorized into three main sections based on their system designation, viz. nanocolloidal systems, surface modification of the biomaterials at molecular level, and nanodevices. An overview of functionalized nanomaterials, devices, and systems in drug and gene delivery, controlled release systems, molecular imaging and diagnostics, cardiac therapy, dental care, orthopedics, and targeted cancer therapy is presented. We further present some preliminary results of our investigation of biodegradable polymeric nanospheres and nanofibers with significant applications in health and medicine.

L'organisation des substances humiques à l'échelle moléculaire reste une question largement débattue, et à ce jour, il n'a pas été possible de trancher entre une structure polymérique en pelotte plus ou moins flexible et un assemblage supramoléculaire de molecules hétérogènes associées par des liaisons hydrogènes et des interactions hydrophobes. Dans cette thèse, nous étudions la reconformation induite par l'addition de tensio-actifs cationiques (Chlorure de C n-trimethylammonium) sur une série de substances humiques (acides fulvique et humiques) ainsi que sur de la matière organique naturelle contenue dans des eaux noires. Des mesures de turbidité, de diffusion de lumière, mobilité électrophorétique, tension de surface, spectroscopie de fluorescence, diffusion des neutrons aux petits angles, et cryomicroscopie à transmission, permettent de decrire les complexes formés entre le tensio-actif et la matière humique. L'association matière humique/tensio-actif dépend à la fois d'interactions d'origine électrostatique et hydrophobe. Une série de structures moléculaires, vésicules, disques, globules, pseudo-micelles, est observée en cryomicroscopie selon la concentration en surfactant. La séquence obtenue est cohérente avec un système catanionique, en d'autres termes une partie de la matière humique est amphiphile et s'organise en assemblage supramoléculaire. L'addition de tensio-actif modifie également fortement le spectre de fluorescence de la matière humique, les nouvelles bandes bien résolues présentes sur le spectre indiquant une restructuration majeure de l'assemblage supramoléculaire
The structural organization of humic nanocolloids remains a matter of harsh debate, and surprisingly, it is yet not possible to decide between an arrangement of the humic matter in the form of randomly coiled macromolecules more or less connected, and a supramolecular organization of small heterogeneous molecules linked by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. In this study, we investigate the reconformation induced by the addition of cationic surfactants (C n-trimethylammonium chloride) of varying alkyl chain length with a series of humic substances (HS) and Dissolved Organic matter (DOM) from two blackwater rivers of the Central Amazon. Turbidity measurements, Dynamic light scattering, electrophoretic mobility, surface tension, fluorescence spectroscopy, small angle neutron scattering and cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), are combined to describe the Humic Substance/Surfactant complexes obtained. The association between the oppositely charged HS and cationic surfactant is driven by both electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. A variety of molecular structures, unilamellar vesicles, disks, globules, spheroidal micelles, are visualized by cryo-TEM depending on surfactant concentration. Such sequence, consistent with those displayed by catanionic systems, provides an independent confirmation of both the amphiphilic nature of HS and of its supramolecular organization. In addition, the molecular rearrangement was investigated using single-scan fluorescence emission spectra spectroscopy, thus identifying the chemical groups responsible for the fluorescence properties in HS and DOM. The addition of cationic surfactant to HS/DOM unveils an unexpected fine structure of humic-like fluorescence through new emission peaks that are not evidenced in the references HS/DOM. An enhanced protein-like fluorescence indicating major restructuration and structural stacking/de-stacking is observed. All our results support a supramolecular organization of humic substances and DOM

The potential applications of dispersed and self-assembled nanoparticles depend critically on accurate control and prediction of their phase behavior. The chemical potential is essential in describing the equilibrium distribution of all components present in every phase of a system and is useful as a building block for constructing phase diagrams. Furthermore, the chemical potential is a sensitive indicator of the local environment of a molecule or particle and is defined in a mathematically rigorous manner in both classical and statistical thermodynamics. The goal of this research is to use simulations and experiments to understand how particle size and composition affect the particle chemical potential of attractive nanoparticle-polymer mixtures. The expanded ensemble Monte Carlo (EEMC) simulation method for the calculation of the particle chemical potential for a nanocolloid in a freely adsorbing polymer solution is extended to concentrated polymer mixtures. The dependence of the particle chemical potential and polymer adsorption on the polymer concentration and particle diameter are presented. The perturbed Lennard-Jones chain (PLJC) equation of state (EOS) for polymer chains1 is adapted to calculate the particle chemical potential of nanocolloid-polymer mixtures. The adapted PLJC equation is able to predict the EEMC simulation results of the particle chemical potential by introducing an additional parameter that reduces the effects of polymer adsorption and the effective size of the colloidal particle. Osmotic pressure measurements are used to calculate the chemical potential of nanocolloidal silica in an aqueous poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) solution at different silica and PEO concentrations. The experimental data was compared with results calculated from Expanded Ensemble Monte Carlo (EEMC) simulations. The results agree qualitatively with the experimentally observed chemical potential trends and illustrate the experimentally-observed dependence of the chemical potential on the composition. Furthermore, as is the case with the EEMC simulations, polymer adsorption was found to play the most significant role in determining the chemical potential trends. The simulation and experimental results illustrate the relative importance of the particles size and composition as well as the polymer concentration on the particle chemical potential. Furthermore, a method for using osmometry to measure chemical potential of nanoparticles in a nanocolloid-mixture is presented that could be combined with simulation and theoretical efforts to develop accurate equations of state and phase behavior predictions. Finally, an equation of state originally developed for polymer liquid-liquid equilibria (LLE) was demonstrated to be effective in predicting nanoparticle chemical potential behavior observed in the EEMC simulations of particle-polymer mixtures.

Binary mixtures of polymers and soft nanocolloids, also called as polymer nanocomposites are well known and studied for their enormous potentials on various technological fronts. In this thesis blends of polystyrene grafted gold nanoparticles (PGNPs) and polystyrene (PS) are studied experimentally, both in bulk and in thin films. This thesis comprises three parts; 1) evolution of microscopic dynamics in the bulk(chapter-3),2) dispersion behavior of PGNPs in thin and ultra thin polymer matrices (chapter-4) 3) effect of dispersion on the glass transition behavior (chapter-5). In first part, the state of art technique, x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy is used to study the temperature and wave vector dependent microscopic dy¬namics of PGNPs and PGNP-PS mixtures. Structural similarities between PGNPs and star polymers (SPs) are shown using small angle x-ray scatter¬ing and scaling relations. We find unexpected (when compared with SPs) non-monotonic dependence of the structural relaxation time of the nanoparticles with functionality (number of arms attached to the surface). Role of core-core attractions in PGNPs is shown and discussed to be the cause of anomalous behavior in dynamics. In PGNP-PS mixtures, we find evidence of melting of the dynamically arrested state of the PGNPs with addition of PS followed by a reentrant slowing down of the dynamics with further increase in polymer frac¬tion, depending on the size ratio(δ)of PS and PGNPs. For higher δ the reen¬trant behavior is not observed with polymer densities explored here. Possible explanation of the observed dynamics in terms of the presence of double-glass phase is provided. The correlation between structure and reentrant vitrifica¬tion in both pristine PGNPs and blends are derived rather qualitatively. In the second part, the focus is shifted to miscibility between PGNPs and polymers under confinement i.e., in thin films. This chapter provide a compre¬hensive study on the different parameters affecting dispersion viz., annealing conditions, fraction of the added particles, polymer-particle interface and more importantly the thickness of the films. Changes in the dispersion behavior with annealing is shown and the need for annealing the films at temperatures higher than the glass transition temperature of the matrix polymers is clearly elucidated. Irrespective of the thickness of the films( 20 and 65 nm) studied, immiscible particle-polymer blends unequivocally prove the presence of gradi¬ent in dynamics along the depth of the films. To our knowledge for the first time, we report results on confinement induced enhancement in the dispersion of the nanoparticles in thin polymer films. The enhanced dispersion is argued to be facilitated by the increased free volume in the polymer due to confinement as shown by others. Based on these results we have proposed a phase diagram for dispersibility of the nanoparticles in polymer films. The phase diagram for ultra thin films highlights an important point: In ultra thin films the particles are dispersed even with grafting molecular weight less than matrix molecular weight. In the third part, we have studied the glass transition of the thin films whose structure has been studied earlier in the earlier part. Non-monotonic variation in glass transition with the fraction of particles in thin films has increased our belief on the gradient in the dynamics of thin polymer films. En¬hanced dispersion with confinement is captured with the enhanced deviation in glass transition temperature of ultra thin films. Effect of miscibility param¬eter on Tgis studied and the results are explained with the subtle interplay of polymer-particle interface and confinement.

The thesis describes the study of slow dynamics of confined polymers and soft colloids. We study the finite size effect on the dynamics of glassy polymers using newly developed interfacial microrheology technique. Systematic measurement have been performed to address the issue of reduction of glass transition under confinements. Slow and heterogeneous dynamics are the underlined observed behavior for dynamics in confined glassy polymers. The slow relaxation dynamics and dynamical heterogeneity in polymer grafted nanoparticles (PGNPs) systems were studied using advanced X - ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) techniques. Our studies presented in this thesis on dynamics of polymer grafted nanoparticle systems in melts and solution are the first attempt to study them experimentally. Thus our work shed the light about new technique to study confined system more accurately and explore new soft colloidal system to study fascinating dynamics and interesting phase behavior. In Chapter 1, we provide the theoretical background along with brief review of the literature for understanding the results presented in this thesis. The details of the experimental set up and their operating principle along with the details of the experimental conditions are provided in Chapter 2. In Chapter 3 we present our newly developed technique (interfacial microrhelogy) and its consequences to study the complex fluids at interface. Chapter 4 discusses the concentration and temperature dependent glassy dynamics in confined glassy polymers. In Chapter 5 we provide the structural and dynamical study of polymer grafted nanoparticles in melts and solutions. We provide the summary of our result and the future prospective of the work in Chapter 6. Chapter-1 provides the ground work and theoretical aspects for understanding the results presented in this thesis. It starts with the discussion about the slow dynamics of complex fluids and transit to dynamic behavior of polymer in confinement, glassy dynamics in confinements . This also discusses the basic aspects of studying viscoelastic properties using rheology, interface rheology, microrheology, interface microrheology techinques. In continuation it discusses structure and dynamics of different soft colloids investigated for last decade and then theoretical aspects of XPCS is discussed. Towards the end of this Chapter, we discuss the procedure to explain and understand systems dynamical heterogeneity near glass like phase transition. Chapter-2 contains the details of the experimental techniques which has been used for the study of confined polymers and soft colloids. Brief introduction to basic principles of the measurements followed by details of the material and methods have been provided. Chapter-3 we discuss the interafacial microrheology of different complex fluids and advantages of the techniques is discussed in Chapter 3. This includes discussion about the technique sensitivity at the surface using quantum dots (QDs) as a probe and about the configuration of the QDs at/on monolayer. Later on establishment of the technique has been demonstrated through easurements on arachidic acid, poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), poly(vinylacetate) (PVAc), poly(methylacrylate) (PMA) monolayers. The extracted subdiffusive nature of QDs in on monolayers through mean square displacement has been explained using fractional Brownian motion model. Towards the end of the chapter we discuss about the extraction of real and imaginary elastic modulus from mean square displacement data using generalized Stokes-Einstein relation for the quasi two dimensional systems and explains about the possible viscoelastic transition in the different monolayers. The concentration and temperature dependent glassy dynamics of confined polymers (PMMA) are discussed in Chapter-4. We demonstrate the microscopic nature of spatio-temporal variation of dynamics of glassy polymers confined to a monolayer of 2 3 nm thickness as a function of surface density and temperature. It illustrates the systems dynamical heterogeneity and explain the observed large reduction of glass transition temperature in confined system through finite size effect. In Chapter 5 we discuss the result based on systematic studies of dynamics of PGNPs in melts and solutions. In addition it also illustrates the structural anisotropy and anomalous dynamical transitions in binary mixture of PGNPs and homopolymers in good solvent condition. It provides temperature and wave vector dependent XPCS measurements on polymer grafted nanoparticles with the variation of functionality. The functionality ( f ) dependent nonmonotonic relaxation in melts of PGNPs and solvent quality dependent non monotonic relaxation of PGNPs system have been elaborated in the continuation. We present possible phase behavior of PGNPs system in good solvent with addition of homopolymer of two different molecular weight. Chapter 6 contains the summary and the future perspective of the work presented.

Depositing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) is challenging because of the need for complicated lab-scale processes and toxic chemical dispersants that makes conventional means of processing less compatible with existing industrial procedures for large-scale applications. In this work, a scalable supercritical CO2-assisted atomization technique is used to effectively deposit hybrid CNTs in CFRPs allowing them to boost their functionality and tailor the microstructure. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are utilized to create hybrid nanostructures with CNTs (CNC bonded CNT) that enables stabilization of CNTs in nontoxic media, i.e., water, and this promotes the scalability of the process. According to Zeta potential values, CNCs successfully stabilize CNTs in water suspension. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs show hybrid CNC bonded CNTs are homogeneously dispersed on the carbon fiber surface. According to the in-situ bending test under the optical microscope, crack propagation is hindered by engineered hybrid CNT nanostructures in the modified CFRP whereas neat CFRP exhibits low crack growth resistance due to the uninterrupted crack propagation in the continuous epoxy matrix. Our results imply that this strategy probes the importance of new controlled manufacturing of hybrid nanostructures through evaporation‑induced self‑assembly of nanocolloidal droplets, and allows for tailoring of the desired properties of nanostructured composites.

Abstract The sophisticated molecular imaging methods, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), have been utilized to image individual asphaltene molecules, both their atoms and bonds, and their electronic structure. The stunning images have confirmed previous results and have all but resolved the long-standing uncertainties regarding asphaltene molecular architecture. Asphaltenes are also known to have a strong propensity to aggregate. The dominante asphaltene molecular structure and hierarchical nanocolloidal structures have been resolved and codified in the Yen-Mullins model. Use of this model in a simple polymer solution theory has given the first equation of state (EoS) for asphaltene gradients in oilfield reservoirs, the Flory-Huggins-Zuo EoS. With this EoS it is now possible to address reservoir connectivity in new ways; equilibrated asphaltenes imply reservoir connectivity. For reservoirs with disequilibrium of contained fluids, there is often a fluid process occurring in geologic time that precludes equilibrium. The collection of processes leading to equilibrium and those that preclude equilibrium constitute a new technical discipline, reservoir fluid geodynamics (RFG). Several reservoirs are reviewed employing RFG evaluation of connectivity via asphaltene thermodynamics. RFG processes in reservoris often include diffusion, RFG models incorporating simple solution to the diffusion equation coupled with quasi-equilibrium with the FHZ EoS are shown to apply for timelines up to 50 million years, the age of charge in a reservoir. When gas (or condensates) diffuse into oil, the asphaltenes are destabilized and can convect to the base of the reservoir. Increasing asphaltene onset pressure as well as viscous oil and tar mats can be consequences. Depending on specifics of the process, either gooey tar or coal-like asphaltene deposits can form. In addition, the asphaltene structures illuminated by AFM are now being used to account for interfacial properties using simple thermodynamics. At long last, asphaltenes are no longer the enigmatic component of crude oil, instead the resolution of asphaltene structures and dynamics has led to new thermodynamic applications in reservoirs, the new discipline RFG, and a new understanding of tar mats.