CAREER: Designed Peptide Conjugates for Precisely Controlling the Fabrication, Structure, and Properties of Nanoparticle Superstructures

技术总结：在这个由固态和材料化学以及材料研究部的生物材料计划资助的职业奖项中，Nathaniel Rosi教授建议开发一种新的合成策略，以同时控制无机纳米颗粒的合成和组装。纳米颗粒的性质本质上取决于它们的大小、形状和组成，以及它们在组装的纳米颗粒超结构中的局部排列。然而，精确控制纳米粒子超结构的结构和精确控制纳米粒子在这些超结构中的放置和定位是一个巨大的挑战。能够应对这一挑战的合成方法将使设计具有任意结构复杂性和高度特定和可调节的物理特性的纳米颗粒超结构成为可能。这项拟议的工作集中在开发一类新的多肽共轭分子，旨在同时指导无机纳米粒子超结构的成核、生长和组装。多肽结合物将被编程来控制纳米颗粒的组成和纳米颗粒超结构的最终拓扑结构。这一方法将得到优化，以允许控制纳米颗粒的大小、组成和颗粒间距。这些因素将被系统地调节，以制备用于表面增强拉曼光谱的纳米颗粒超结构基片。这项拟议工作的成功实施将带来精确控制纳米粒子超结构的合成、组装和物理性质的新方法。非技术摘要：纳米粒子有望成为下一代材料和器件的结构和功能构建块。纳米粒子的物理性质在很大程度上取决于它们如何排列到材料或设备中。因此，为了控制这些新一代材料的性能，能够精确地控制其组成纳米粒子的排列和组装是很重要的。这项拟议的工作旨在解决与纳米颗粒组装相关的根本挑战，并将导致开发控制纳米颗粒超结构的合成、组装和性能的新方法。这些基础研究工作将与旨在吸引高中生，特别是少数族裔学生参与大学化学研究的外联工作相结合。本科生和研究生将发展重要的指导技能，同时在尖端和高度跨学科的实验室环境中培训高中合作者。

TECHNICAL SUMMARY:In this CAREER award, funded by the Solid State and Materials Chemistry and the Biomaterials programs of the Division of Materials Research, Professor Nathaniel Rosi proposes to develop a new synthetic strategy for simultaneously controlling both the synthesis and the assembly of inorganic nanoparticles. Nanoparticle properties depend intrinsically on their size, shape, and composition and also their local arrangement within an assembled nanoparticle superstructure. However, precisely controlling the structure of nanoparticle superstructures and precisely controlling the placement and registry of nanoparticles within these superstructures is a significant challenge. Synthetic methods capable of addressing this challenge would enable the design of nanoparticle superstructures with arbitrary structural complexity and highly specific and tunable physical properties. The proposed work focuses on the development of a new class of peptide conjugate molecules designed to simultaneously direct the nucleation, growth, and assembly of inorganic nanoparticle superstructures. The peptide conjugates will be programmed to control both the composition of the nanoparticles and the ultimate topology of the nanoparticle superstructure. This methodology will be optimized in order to allow for control over nanoparticle size, composition, and interparticle spacing. These factors will be systematically tuned to prepare nanoparticle superstructure-based substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. The successful execution of the proposed work will lead to new methodology for precisely controlling the synthesis, assembly, and physical properties of nanoparticle superstructures.NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:Nanoparticles are envisioned to be the structural and functional building blocks for next-generation materials and devices. The physical properties of nanoparticles depend largely on how they are arranged into a material or device. Therefore, in order to control the properties of these next-generation materials, it is important to be able to precisely control the arrangement and assembly of their constituent nanoparticles. The proposed work aims to address fundamental challenges associated with nanoparticle assembly, and it will lead to the development of new methodology for controlling the synthesis, assembly, and properties of nanoparticle superstructures. These basic research efforts will be coupled with outreach efforts aimed at attracting high-school students, especially minorities, to participate in university-based chemistry research. Undergraduate and graduate students will develop important mentoring skills while training high-school collaborators in a cutting-edge and highly interdisciplinary laboratory environment.