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

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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.