Bottom-up synthesis of filamentous polymer nanoparticles through bio-templated approaches

在这个由化学系大分子，超分子和纳米化学项目资助的项目中，凯斯西储大学的Jon Pokorski和Nicole Steinmetz将开发基于生物支架模板聚合物生长形成复杂聚合物纳米结构的方法，特别是烟草花叶病毒（TMV）。自下而上合成具有受控尺寸和特征（例如配体间距）的聚合物纳米颗粒是纳米科学中的关键需求。该方法涉及探索三种方法来合成棒状纳米结构：1）使用ATRP从TMV的外部接枝聚合物，2）从TMV的内表面接枝聚合物，然后去除模板以产生高纵横比的聚合物纳米颗粒，以及3）在内表面和外表面上均接枝以产生复杂的由内而外的聚合物纳米颗粒。可以使用基因工程方法修饰模板表面，以便以合理的方式增加或减少颗粒尺寸。以确定性阵列组织功能分子提供了一种方法来化学编程新的功能设备，用于医学和能源领域。该项目的更广泛影响还包括培训研究生和本科生，以及参与聚合物特使计划，培训克利夫兰学区的高中生。创建具有纳米级尺寸的精确定义的结构（称为“纳米结构”）仍然是化学家的挑战。 大自然已经完善了蛋白质组装成无数的纳米结构，特别是在病毒的情况下。 该项目将开发新的和创新的方法，以高纯度的形式合成这些材料，使用病毒作为进一步材料合成的支架。 这些类型的病毒模板纳米材料可以作为有前途的药物输送平台或纳米电子学中的连接元件。

In this project funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Jon Pokorski and Nicole Steinmetz of Case Western Reserve University will develop methods to form complex polymeric nanostructures based on the templated polymer growth from a biological scaffold, specifically tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). The bottom-up synthesis of polymeric nanoparticles with controlled sizes and features, such as ligand spacing is a critical need in nanoscience. The approach involves exploring three methods to synthesize rod-shaped nanostructures: 1) using ATRP to graft polymers from the exterior of TMV, 2) grafting polymers from the interior surface of TMV, followed by removal of the template to yield high-aspect ratio polymeric nanoparticles, and 3) polymerize both on the interior and exterior surface to yield complex inside-out polymeric nanoparticles. The template surface can be modified using genetic engineering methods in order to increase or decrease the particle dimensions in a rational manner. Organizing functional molecules in deterministic arrays provides a means to chemically program new functional devices for applications in medicine and energy. The broader impacts of the project also involve training graduate and undergraduate students, as well as participation in the Polymer Envoy Program for training high school students in Cleveland's school districts. The creation of precisely defined structures that have dimensions on the order of nanometers (termed "nanostructures") continues to be a challenge for chemists. Nature has perfected the assembly of proteins into a myriad of nanostructures, particularly in the case of viruses. This project will develop new and innovative ways to synthesize these materials in a highly pure form using viruses as a scaffold for further materials synthesis. These types of virus-templated nanomaterials could find applications as promising platforms for drug delivery or as connecting elements in nanoelectronics.