CRC: Catalytic Manipulation of Amide-Based Molecules and Materials

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This award supports the collaborative efforts of Samuel H. Gellman, Shannon S. Stahl, Qiang Cui and Arun Yethiraj at the University of Wisconsin-Madison together with Annelise E. Barron at Northwestern University. This team will develop and optimize metal-based amide exchange catalysts for the preparation of new amide-containing molecules and polymers. The carboxamide group is inert under many conditions, and this research therefore is focused on a fundamentally new challenge in terms of metal-mediated reactivity. The diverse ensemble of researchers will use experimental and theoretical approaches to explore both transamidation and amide metathesis as strategies for the generation of new classes of oligo- and polyamides, including biomimetic helical heteropolymers. This team will also examine template-controlled reactivity, in which non-covalent interactions between the polyamide and a template control the monomer sequence, and provide access to complex materials properties. The research will also probe the effect of monomer properties on the polymer self-assembly.Polyamides are a large and useful class of polymers that includes proteins, which are of pivotal importance in biological systems, and synthetic materials such as nylons and Kevlar. Proteins are very complex molecules that perform diverse functions; in contrast, synthetic polyamides have much simpler structures and simpler functions. This research aims to bridge the gap in structure and function between biological and synthetic polyamides and thereby generate entirely new materials of broad utility. Synthetic targets include antimicrobial agents, gene delivery vectors, and lung surfactants. Researchers trained through this program will have a broad-based experience in catalysis, organic synthesis, polymer synthesis, materials characterization, computation and biotechnology. This award is funded through the Collaborative Research in Chemistry Program (CRC) in the NSF Division of Chemistry.