CRC: Exploiting Self-Assembly in Biological and Synthetic Macromolecules to Create Novel Hybrid Materials

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Anna Balazs, Gilbert Walker, Thomas Russell, and Todd Emrick are supported with a collaborative award to study self-assembly processes. Additional partners in this collaboration include Craig Hawker (IBM Almaden), Linda Molnar (NASA) and Jonathan Trent (NASA). Their goal is to create novel materials by exploiting synergistic interactions that arise when two distinct self-assembling processes occur silmultaneously in one system. One component is chaperonin proteins that self-assemble into fibers, bundles or sheets, the other is synthetic block copolymers that form lamellar, cylindrical, spherical and more complicated phases. By linking or embedding one phase in another, one self-organization process can influence the other and lead to novel new assemblies. This study integrates theory and experiment to probe cooperative behavior and understand fundamental self-assembly processes. Understanding how synthetic molecules interact with biological molecules is essential to biomaterials and biosensors. Potential applications of this research include antimicrobial coatings, responsive materials, drug delivery and biomolecular electronics. This project is funded through the Collaborative Research in Chemistry Program (CRC) and provides outstanding opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers to acquire knowledge and skills in very broad areas of research, including materials synthesis, theory, polymer engineering, physical chemistry and nanoscience.