Nanostructured Polymers for Bronsted and Lewis Acid Catalysis via Monomer Self-Assembly

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This award will support a research program in the development of functional, nanostructured polymeric systems based on polymerizable liquid crystals (LCs). The goal of the proposed project is to design and examine nanostructured, polymeric acid catalysts based on lyotropic LC assemblies that would potentially offer the best of both worlds in terms of properties and control. One specific new research direction is the design of lyotropic LC monomers that form the Hii phase which contain strong Bronsted acid groups. To out knowledge, polymerizable amphiphiles with this combination of features are unprecedented. This aspect of the proposed work will involve investigating fundamental issues of functional group compatibility in LC monomer design, as well as investigating the effect of the nanoscale architecture and confinement on Bronsted acid-base equilibria in the resulting polymer. More applied studies will also be undertaken to determine the effectiveness of these proposed nanostructured polymer resins in acid catalysis relative to the more conventional inorganic and organic acid materials. The second new research direction is the design of new lyotropic monomers which contain strongly Lewis acidic Sc(III) headgroups. Although amorphous, polymer-supported Sc(III) catalysts have been realized, nanostructured Sc-containing polymeric catalysts are unprecedented. LC network-supported Sc(III) materials may yield unique heterogeneous Lewis acid catalysts that not only operate in water but also afford different reaction kinetics and selectivities compared to traditional isotropic Sc(III) systems.%%%In terms of broader impact, the proposed research will provide training for students in the important area of nanoscience. Nanoscale science has recently become a national science and technology priority. The proposed research provides a novel training ground for students in polymer chemistry to examine the effect of nanostructure on important materials properties, such as catalysis and reactivity. The research itself may lead to new fundamental insights for designing polymeric materials with novel capabilities as a result of control of order on the nanometer scale.