Small-angle X-ray Diffraction Analysis Research Articles

Design and Application of a Gas Diffusion Electrode (GDE) Cell for Operando and In Situ Studies.

Presented here is an electrochemical three-electrode Gas Diffusion Electrode (GDE) cell tailored for operandoand in situ investigations of electrocatalytic processes, with a particular focus on X-ray scattering studies. The optimized cell is engineered to accommodate the minimal sample-detector distances requisite for comprehensive X-ray total scattering investigations. An in-depth understanding of catalytic processes requires their study under 'working' conditions. Configured as a flow-cell, the setup therefore enables the examination of electrocatalysts under high current densities and associated gas evolution phenomena, particularly pertinent for reactions like the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Notably, its transparency simplifies cell alignment, troubleshooting, and facilitates scans through the catalyst layer, crucial for background corrections. Demonstrating its versatility, we showcase its utility through Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and X-ray Pair Distribution Function (PDF) analyses of total scattering data.

Direct Writing of Aligned Conjugated Polymer Micro-Ribbons for High-Performance Organic Electronics

Organic semiconductors (OSCs) and relevant devices have presented their great potential in flexible and wearable electronics. Controlled solution deposition of organic semiconductors at a limited local region is highly expected because it can realize feasible and low-cost fabrication of highly integrated devices with low current leakage and free crosstalk between adjacent devices. Here, we reported a feasible microscale meniscus-guided direct writing method to purposely deposit conjugated polymer poly[2,5-(2-octyldodecyl)-3,6-diketopyrrolopyrrole-alt-5,5-(2,5-di(thien-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene)] micro-ribbons at preset local regions. The direct writing of OSCs was carried out on a microscale with the width of written micro-ribbons down to 5 μm, which was seldomly reported before. Direct writing operation induced anisotropic crystallization of organic semiconducting micro-ribbons, which further enhanced the electrical performance of organic transistors with a device on/off ratio of 5.1 × 104 and carrier mobility of 1.05 cm2 V–1 s–1. Small-angle X-ray diffraction analysis further proved the existence of anisotropic crystallization behavior. This technique shed light on the feasible and convenient fabrication of future high-performance organic electronics.

Structure and magnetic characterization of Sr-doped BiFeO3 prepared by sol–gel method

Multiferroic nanocrystalline Bi[Formula: see text]Sr[Formula: see text]FeO3 ([Formula: see text], 0.05, 0.1) samples were synthesized using the sol–gel method and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy and SQUID system. The small-angle X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the sample underwent phase transition from rhombohedral to pseudo-cubic structure with the enhancement of Sr content. In addition, impurity peaks gradually diminished, indicating that content of impurities of samples reduced. Furthermore, it can be determined that there is only Fe[Formula: see text] in all the samples and impurity phase that existed in the samples was Bi[Formula: see text]FeO[Formula: see text] by fitting Mössbauer spectra. It is further confirmed that Bi[Formula: see text] Sr[Formula: see text]FeO3 samples were generated by oxygen vacancy equilibrium valence state when Sr[Formula: see text] ions replaced Bi[Formula: see text] ions. The change of quadrupole splitting indicated that a low concentration of Sr[Formula: see text] ions diffused homogeneously in the sample. Magnetization measurement showed that the magnetization of the sample increased gradually with the substitution of Bi[Formula: see text] by nonequivalent Sr[Formula: see text] ions, which can be ascribed to the decrease of grain size and the increase of oxygen vacancy and specific surface in the samples.

Structure and stoichiometry of CTAB-DNA complexes.

We have studied the structure of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-DNA complexes using small angle x-ray diffraction and elemental analysis. These complexes exhibit a two-dimensional hexagonal phase. The diffraction data have been analyzed using electron density models based on two different structures of these complexes proposed in the literature, which differ in the micelle to DNA stoichiometry. The structure with a 1:2 micelle-DNA stoichiometry is found to be more consistent with the diffraction data. Furthermore, this structure is also supported by the stoichiometry deduced from elemental analysis. Madelung energies of the two structures, calculated from the electrostatic interaction between their cylindrical constituents, give insight into their relative stability.

Structure and Energy Profile of the Skeletal Nickel Surface According to the Small-Angle X-Ray Diffraction and Adsorption Calorimetry Data

A systematic study of the surface of Raney nickel-based pyrophoric catalysts by small-angle X-ray diffraction analysis was carried out for the first time. The parameters of the crystallites constituting the active catalyst surface were determined. A correlation between the surface structure and the activity of skeletal nickel for the liquid-phase hydrogenation reactions was demonstrated. The effect of treatment of Ni–Al alloy with sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide on the catalyst particle size and on the course of the hydrogenation reaction was revealed and substantiated. The X-ray diffraction data on the catalyst surface structure and the adsorption calorimetry data were correlated with the skeletal nickel activity parameters.

Liquid crystals as pore template for sulfated zirconia

Porous sulfated zirconia was prepared using a sol-gel process associated with liquid crystal templates (LCTs). Evaluation was made of the effects of the Zr4+:SO42− molar ratio and aging time on the formation and stability of the lyotropic arrangement of the LCT gel and the features of the resulting mesoporous powders. Polarized light microscopy and small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXD) analysis of the LCT gel revealed the prevalence of hexagonal mesophase (P6mm) in the sulfated samples. Thermal treatment of the samples resulted in sulfated ZrO2 ceramic powders whose infrared spectra exhibited bands characteristic of mono- and bi-dentate SO42− groups bonded to ZrO2. X-Ray diffractograms of the materials showed a mixture of monoclinic and tetragonal phases of zirconia, with the tetragonal phase increasing from 86–90% to 100% as the Zr4+:SO42− molar ratio decreases from 15 to 5. Crystallite sizes of about 9.5 and 4.5 nm were observed for the pristine and sulfated zirconia (Zr4+:SO42− = 5), respectively. The lattice fringe distances observed for selected areas in the electron diffraction patterns and in high-resolution transmission electron micrographs confirmed the mixture of tetragonal and monoclinic crystalline phases. Small-angle X-Ray scattering analysis showed that the gyration radius was around 2 nm and that the particles were organized as a branched network with a fractal surface when sulfate was inserted in the zirconia structure, improving its porous characteristics. The LCT generated pores with greater diameters (up to 4.4 nm) in the sulfated samples, while the surface area increased to 146 m2 g−1. The gel aging process led to the reinforcement of the pore wall structure, prevented shrinkage effects during calcination, and enabled higher surface areas to be achieved. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy analyses showed that the walls of the pores were composed of platelets of irregular shapes, giving rise to mesopores. The porous structure, combined with the presence of acid sites, improved by sulfate groups at the surface of tetragonal zirconia crystallite, makes these materials promising candidates for application as catalysts in dehydration reactions.

Soft-template assisted synthesis of hexagonal antimonene and bismuthene in colloidal solutions.

Monoelemental two-dimensional (2D) group-VA materials have received increasing interest due to their great potential in optoelectronic applications. Despite numerous efforts have been made for their syntheses, the development of effective and better controllable synthetic approaches for the preparation of monoelemental 2D group-VA materials is still in its infancy. In this work, we report a soft-template approach for the synthesis of multilayered antimonene and bismuthene nanosheets in colloidal solutions. We show that the prepared antimonene and bismuthene nanosheets possess a well-defined rhombohedral crystal structure with impressive stability. We elucidate a formation pathway for the 2D nanosheets with small-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. We demonstrate that SbCl3 dissolves in alkyl phosphonic acids to form a lamellar structure initially, which is apt for the formation of the final 2D morphology. The present study introduces a general route to synthesizing monoelemental 2D group-VA materials in colloidal solutions and gives a deeper insight into their growth mechanism.

Cardiac myosin activation with 2-deoxy-ATP via increased electrostatic interactions with actin

The naturally occurring nucleotide 2-deoxy-adenosine 5'-triphosphate (dATP) can be used by cardiac muscle as an alternative energy substrate for myosin chemomechanical activity. We and others have previously shown that dATP increases contractile force in normal hearts and models of depressed systolic function, but the structural basis of these effects has remained unresolved. In this work, we combine multiple techniques to provide structural and functional information at the angstrom-nanometer and millisecond time scales, demonstrating the ability to make both structural measurements and quantitative kinetic estimates of weak actin-myosin interactions that underpin sarcomere dynamics. Exploiting dATP as a molecular probe, we assess how small changes in myosin structure translate to electrostatic-based changes in sarcomere function to augment contractility in cardiac muscle. Through Brownian dynamics simulation and computational structural analysis, we found that deoxy-hydrolysis products [2-deoxy-adenosine 5'-diphosphate (dADP) and inorganic phosphate (Pi)] bound to prepowerstroke myosin induce an allosteric restructuring of the actin-binding surface on myosin to increase the rate of cross-bridge formation. We then show experimentally that this predicted effect translates into increased electrostatic interactions between actin and cardiac myosin in vitro. Finally, using small-angle X-ray diffraction analysis of sarcomere structure, we demonstrate that the proposed increased electrostatic affinity of myosin for actin causes a disruption of the resting conformation of myosin motors, resulting in their repositioning toward the thin filament before activation. The dATP-mediated structural alterations in myosin reported here may provide insight into an improved criterion for the design or selection of small molecules to be developed as therapeutic agents to treat systolic dysfunction.

Development of phospholipid nanoparticles encapsulating 3-O-cetyl ascorbic acid and tocopherol acetate (TA-Cassome) for improving their skin accumulation

Phospholipid nanoparticles (PNs) encapsulating vitamin C and E derivatives, 3-O-cetyl ascorbic acid (CA) and tocopherol acetate (TA), respectively, were examined using the film rehydration and extrusion method. PN formulations (TA-Cassome) were prepared by mixing CA, soya phosphatidylcholine (Soya PC), sodium cholate, and TA at a molar ratio of 20/80/5/6. Glycerol (GL) or diglycerol (DG) were also added to improve the skin accumulation of CA and TA. Three TA-Cassome formulations were evaluated using a dynamic light scattering (DLS), NMR, TEM, skin accumulation test for CA and TA, and small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXD) analysis. TA-Cassome formulations (150 nm) were stable for two weeks and they encapsulated 1.8 mg/mL of TA. TEM and SAXD analysis revealed that the nanoparticles formed a spherical multilayer structure. 1H and 31P NMR indicated that GL and DG enhanced the proton mobility of choline groups of soya PC molecules located on the membrane surface of TA-Cassome. Accumulation of CA and TA in the dermis was increased by adding GL and DG. SAXD analysis revealed that GL and DG promoted the formation of new lamellar structures on the stratum corneum, which contributed to improving the skin accumulation of CA and TA.

N-doped ordered mesoporous carbon/graphene composites with supercapacitor performances fabricated by evaporation induced self-assembly

N-doped ordered mesoporous carbon/graphene composites with supercapacitor performance are successful synthesized by evaporation induced self-assembly (EISA). In this procedure, using phenolic resin as carbon source, triblock copolymer (F127) as template, hydrochloric acid as catalyst, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as structure enhancer agent and urea as additive for improving graphitization and surface wettability, ordered mesoporous carbon is formed by EISA and low temperature carbonization. At the same time, graphene is added into the mixed solution with the carbon source. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), small-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) and N2 sorption analysis results illustrate that the samples display two-dimensional ordered mesoporous structure with uniform pore diameter (∼4 nm). The highest surface area could reach to 1801 m2/g and the biggest pore volume can be up to 1.55 cm3/g. The reinforcement of graphitization is implied by the Raman spectroscopy and wide-angle XRD results. The capacitor performance test shows a capacitance of 246 F/g at 1 A/g with excellent stability.

Synthesis and copolymerization of azidomethyl-substituted oxetanes: the morphology of statistical block copolymers

3,3-Bis(azidomethyl)oxetane and 3-azidomethyl-3-methyloxetane were obtained by bromination of pentaerythritol and metriol with a mixture of hydrobromic, acetic, and sulfuric acids, followed by cyclization in the presence of a phase-transfer catalyst TBAB, with the formation of oxetane ring and replacement of bromide substituents with azide ions. The copolymerization reaction of 3,3-bis-(azidomethyl)oxetane and 3-azidomethyl-3-methyloxetane was performed in the presence of a catalytic system prepared from triisobutylaluminum and water. The methods of small-angle and wide-angle X-ray diffraction analysis were used to determine the amorphous-crystalline and domain structures of the synthesized copolymers. We also present data about conformational and relaxation transitions in these statistical copolymers.

Mixed surfactant systems of sucrose esters and lecithin as a synergistic approach for oil structuring

In order to modify the self-assembly of sucrose esters (SEs) in sunflower oil, we added sunflower lecithin (SFL) as co-surfactant. It is hypothesized that SFL modifies the self-assembly of SEs by interrupting the extensive hydrogen bonding between SEs monomers. The addition of SFL into SEs induced gelation of the mixed surfactant system oleogels at all studied ratios. The 7:3 SEs:SFL combination showed enhanced rheological properties compared to the other studied ratios, which suggests better molecular ordering induced by SFL. The modifications might have been caused by interference in the hydrogen bonding, connecting the polar heads of SEs molecules in the presence of SFL. This effect was confirmed by thermal behavior and small angle X-ray diffraction (SAXD) analysis. From the crystallization and melting analyses, it was shown that the peak temperature, shape and enthalpy decreased as the SFL ratio increases. Meanwhile, the bi-component oleogels exhibited new peaks in the SAXD profile, which imply a self-assembly modification. The microscopic study through polarized and electrons revealed a change in the structure. Therefore, it can be concluded that a synergistic effect between SEs and SFL, more particularly at 7:3 ratio, towards sunflower oil structuring could be obtained. These findings shed light for greater applications of SEs as structuring and carrier agent in foods and pharmaceutical.

Structural aspects of graphitic carbon modified SBA-15 mesoporous silica and biological interactions with red blood cells and plasma proteins

Functional mesoporous materials have been worldwide studied for different applications. Mesoporous silicas are highlighted due to the synthetic possibilities for the preparation of such materials with different particle sizes and morphologies, and controlled pores sizes and structures. Moreover, the silica superficial silanol groups are explored in several chemical modifications, leading to functional materials with tuned functionalities and properties.In this work, an organo-functionalization and pyrolysis synthetic procedure is used to obtain graphitic carbon modified mesoporous SBA-15 silica. The carbon content was tuned during the functionalization step, and the graphitic nanodomains were formed in the pores surface and particles outer surface. Textural and small angle X-ray diffraction analysis accessed the presence of the carbon nanostructures inside the SBA-15 mesopores. Advanced microanalysis using electron energy loss spectroscopy coupled to a transmission electron microscope had confirmed the carbon distribution along the silica pores, which gives higher hydrophobicity and changed the interaction of the mesoporous material with biological systems.Finally, the influence of the surface modification with graphitic carbon species over the interaction with human red blood cells (hemolysis) and human blood plasma (protein corona formation) was elucidated for the very first time for this kind of functional materials. It was observed that the graphitic carbon species considerably reduced the hemolytic effect of the silica particles, and was responsible for modulating the loading and composition of the hard corona plasma proteins. This work deepness the fundamental knowledge on the interaction between such nanomaterials and biological systems, one step further the use of these modified silicas in biomedical applications.

Synthesis and spectral properties of preorganized BODIPYs in solutions and Langmuir-Schaefer films

Abstract In order to investigate the influence of molecular structure peculiarities of boron-dipyrrine dyes (BODIPYs) on their properties in solutions and supramolecular organization in Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) films, four new BODIPY dyes with various aliphatic, aromatic or mixed nature meso-subtituents were synthesized and investigated. Spectral characteristics (electronic absorption and fluorescence) of the synthesized compounds in organic solvents and LS-films were studied. Floating monolayers of the BODIPYs were formed from chloroform solutions placed onto water subphase in Langmuir-Blodgett through. Thin films were prepared using the Langmuir-Schaefer technique by the transfer of floating monolayers onto standard polished glass, ITO covered glass or pure silicon substrate. The variation of the dye structure we consider as a preorganization aiming to influence the structure of LS-films. The morphology and structure of the LS-films was examined by fluorescent microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and small angle X-ray diffraction analysis. It was found that the introduced substituents have no substantial influence on the position of the absorption and fluorescence bands in dilute solutions. In contrast, the fluorescent characteristics of the LS-films significantly depend on the substituent nature. Therefore, this strategy could be used for the direct tuning of compounds fluorescent properties in LS-films. Concerning the LS-film surface characteristics it was proved that the films are homogeneous, without disruptions and only some widely-spaced microcrystals could be observed. With respect to the LS-film structure, the change of the substituents introduced to the BODIPY molecule did not influence the average given periodicity of layers (d = 0.3–0.4 nm). This value corresponds to a single-layer arrangement of BODIPY molecules located parallel to the substrate surface. Nevertheless, the diffraction peak intensities depended on the molecular structure of BODIPYs and therefore the structurization in thin films. Moreover, the combination of the rigid phenyl moiety with long alkyl chains in one compound completely suppresses the aggregation of molecules maintaining the intense fluorescence in thin films. On the basis of used range of experimental and calculation methods the intralayer and interlayer structures were proposed. Intermolecular hydrogen bond formation and π-π staking of the BODIPY cores were found to be the structure forming forces during the films manufacturing, resulting the differences in crystallinity of the materials. While the alkyl-substituents prevent the type of interactions and suppress the association of the dyes and formation of excimers. Compounds under investigation show a manifestation of the intense solvatochromic properties which allow their application as sensors, including naked eye sensorics for solution polarity. Besides, the obtained results broaden prospective of functional materials usage based on BODIPY thin films as components of optoelectronics.

TiO2 aerogel–Cu-BTC metal-organic framework composites for enhanced photon absorption

Novel composites containing titania aerogel and Cu-BTC metal-organic framework (MOF) were synthesized via sol-gel route and characterized by various techniques. The concentration of MOF in composites was varied between 5 and 20weight% with respect to titania precursor. The presence of prominent peaks of Cu-BTC in the small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXD) analysis confirmed the incorporation of MOF in the composite. This is further confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectral analysis (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis and elemental mapping studies. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET) surface area was found to vary between 204 and 240m2g−1 depending upon MOF concentration in the composites. It was noted that the pore distribution was found to be narrowed on increasing MOF concentration in the composite. Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) images revealed the nanoporous morphology of the composites. The incorporation of MOF to TiO2 aerogel showed a significant increase of absorption in the visible region. These properties suggest that TiO2 aerogel-Cu-BTC composites are promising materials for photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications.

Tethering of Cu(II) Schiff base metal complex on mesoporous material MCM-41: catalyst for Ullmann-type coupling reactions

The siloxane-functioned Cu(II) complex derived from 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, terephthaldehyde and 2-aminophenol was anchored on hexagonal mesoporous silica MCM-41. The MCM-41 and its Schiff base MCM-41 complex was characterized by FTIR, small-angle X-ray diffraction, SEM-EDX, N2 adsorption and desorption analysis and TGA. The synthesized Cu-Schiff base MCM-41 catalyst has been successfully applied as a catalyst for Ullmann-type coupling reaction of the aryl halides with aryl halides, phenols, amines and N-heterocyclic amines. In the coupling reaction the yields of the products were good and the catalyst was recovered by simple filtration method and can be reused.

Synthesis and Electrochemical Performance of Ni/Ordered Mesoporous Carbon Composites with High Surface Areas

Ni/ordered mesoporous carbon composites with high surface areas were successfully fabricated via a facile one-step template method using the self-assembly of phenolic resin and triblock copolymers (F127) under acidic condition, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as a structural strengthening agent, carbamide as an additive and nickel as catalyst. Transmission electron microscope, small-angle X-ray diffraction and N2 sorption analysis demonstrate that Ni/ordered mesoporous carbon composites have a 2D hexagonal ordered mesostructure, which couples with uniform mesopores (about 5.3 nm). Maximum specific surface area and pore volume can be up to 2800 m2/g and 3.80 cm3/g respectively after carbonization at 850°C, and all BET surface areas result from mesopores. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction patterns illustrate that the presence of Ni catalyst and an obvious enhancement of graphitic degree in the skeleton structure. Electrochemical measurements performed on Ni/ordered mesoporous carbon composites display that cyclic voltammetry curves present as approximately rectangular at different scanning rates, including 100 mV/s, and the samples display large capacitance (210 F/g) in KOH electrolyte. The findings above indicate that Ni/ordered mesoporous carbon composites can be used as electrode material for an electrochemical double layer capacitor.

Evaluation of Ability of Hydrogen Absorption in SAB-16/Pd Nanostructure Composite

The purpose of this work was to study the hydrogen adsorption on the surface of mesoporous materials based on silica (SBA-16) modified with palladium via temperature. Since mesoporous silica materials have a high specific surface area, and the ordered mesoporous size of 2-10nm, they are suitable for adsorption and storage of hydrogen. SBA-16 is suitable for this purpose due to its cubic crystalstructure and open pores. Single-stage sol-gel method was used to produce nanostructure composite from salt of palladium (PdCl3) and mesoporous silica precursor. The aging time was selected as 12 hr at 80 C. Furthermore, the obtained materials were heated at 550 C for 6 hr to remove surfactant and to form pores. Then the materials were characterized by large angle and small angle x-ray diffraction analysis, and hydrogen absorption analysis at upto 200kPa pressure at three different temperatures of -196 C (77 K), -123 C (150 K) and 30 C (303 K). Furthermore, adsorption-desorption of nitrogen gas was studied. The surface morphology was observed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). In addition, the amount of palladium, oxygen, and silicon were measured by using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Finally, the functional groups on the surface of mesoporous silica materials were evaluated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results of XRD and EDS analyses confirmed the presence of palladium and palladium oxide in mesoporous amorphous silica. In addition, BET results showed that addition of palladium in SBA-16 decreased the surface area, and produced 791 and 538m/g for SBA-16 and SBA-16/Pd, respectively. Hydrogen absorption in nano structure composite was decreasing with temperatur in comparison with SAB-16. On the other hand, the maximum hydrogen absorption in the nano structure composite containing palladium was obtained at -196 C (77 K).

Controlling the Spatial Organization of Liquid Crystalline Nanoparticles by Composition of the Organic Grafting Layer.

Understanding how the spatial ordering of liquid crystalline nanoparticles can be controlled by different factors is of great importance in the further development of their photonic applications. In this paper, we report a new key parameter to control the mesogenic behavior of gold nanoparticles modified by rodlike thiols. An efficient method to control the spatial arrangement of hybrid nanoparticles in a condensed state is developed by changing the composition of the mesogenic grafting layer on the surface of the nanoparticles. The composition can be tuned by different conditions of the ligand exchange reaction. The thermal and optical behavior of the mesogenic and promesogenic ligands were investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and hot-stage polarized optical microscopy. The chemical structure of the synthesized hybrid nanoparticles was characterized by (1) H NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), XPS, and elemental analysis, whereas the superstructures were examined by small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXSRD) analysis. Structural studies showed that the organic sublayer made of mesogenic ligands is denser with an increasing the average ligand number, thereby separating the nanoparticles in the liquid crystalline phases, which changes the parameters of these phases.

Glyceryl monooleyl ether-based liquid crystalline nanoparticles as a transdermal delivery system of flurbiprofen: characterization and in vitro transport.

Liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNs) were prepared using glyceryl monooleyl ether (GME) by the modified film rehydration method. Hydrogenated lecithin (HL), 1,3-butylene glycol (1,3-BG), and Poloxamer 407 were used as additives. The prepared LCN formulations were evaluated based on particle size, small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXS) analysis, (1)H- and (19)F-NMR spectra, and in vitro skin permeation across Yucatan micropig skin. The composition (weight percent) of the LCN formulations were GME-HL-1,3-BG (4 : 1 : 15), 4% GME-based LCN and GME-HL-1,3-BG (8 : 1 : 15), 8% GME-based LCN and their mean particle sizes were 130-175 nm. Flurbiprofen 5 and 10 mg was loaded into 4% GME-based LCN and 8% GME-based LCN systems, respectively. The results of SAXS and NMR suggested that both flurbiprofen-loaded formulations consist of particles with reverse type hexagonal phase (formation of hexosome) and flurbiprofen molecules were localized in the lipid domain through interaction of flurbiprofen with the lipid components. Flurbiprofen transport from the LCN systems across the Yucatan micropig skin was increased compared to flurbiprofen in citric buffer (pH=3.0). The 8% GME-based LCN systems was superior to the 4% GME-based LCN for flurbiprofen transport. Since the internal hexagonal phase in the 8% GME-based LCN systems had a higher degree of order compared to the 4% GME-based LCN in SAXS patterns, the 8% GME-based LCN system had a larger surface area, which might influence flurbiprofen permeation. These results indicated that the GME-based LCN system is effective in improving the skin permeation of flurbiprofen across the skin.