Conformationally Programmable Molecular Receptors

该项目旨在开发一种新的可重新编程分子受体，其中识别能力可以可逆地写入，保存和删除。这与大多数合成分子的静态性质形成对比，其中分子性质只能在合成过程中设置。这种改变和改变识别性质的能力是通过分子来实现的，这些分子由于C-N键的旋转受限，可以采用多种室温稳定的构象。分子可以在客体存在下退火以形成互补结构。然后通过冷却到室温，这些可以作为稳定的构象保存下来。保存的构象可以在没有客体的情况下通过加热来擦除，或者用不同的客体加热来重写。通过这个奖项，有机和大分子化学项目支持南卡罗来纳大学研究基金会化学系的Ken D. Shimizu教授的研究。Shimizu教授的研究工作围绕着识别材料的发展，这些材料由于对其分子特性的动态控制而具有多功能。所提出的策略可以扩展到其他构象相关的性质，如溶解度，粘度和折射率。该机制与蛋白质折叠等动态生物过程也有许多相似之处，可以作为这些过程的模型。

This project seeks to develop a new line of reprogrammable molecular receptors, in which recognition abilities could be reversibly written, saved, and erased. This is in contrast to the static nature of most synthetic molecules in which the molecular properties can only be set during its synthesis. This ability to alter and change recognition properties is accomplished using molecules that can adopt multiple room temperature stable conformations due to restricted rotation about C-N bonds. The molecules can be annealed in the presence of a guest to form complementary structures. These can then be saved as stable conformers by cooling to room temperature. Saved conformations can be erased by heating in the absence of guest or rewritten by heating with a different guest. With this award, the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program is supporting the research of Professor Ken D. Shimizu of the Department of Chemistry at University South Carolina Research Foundation. Professor Shimizu's research efforts revolve around the development of recognition materials that are multifunctional due to dynamic control over their molecular properties. The proposed strategy could be extended to other conformationally dependent properties, such as solubility, viscosity, and refractive index. The proposed mechanism also shares many similarities with dynamic biological processes such as protein folding and could serve as models for these.