Poly(alpha-hydroxy acids) via Ring-Opening Polymerization of O-Carboxyanhydrides

在这个由国家科学基金会化学部大分子，超分子和纳米化学计划资助的项目中，伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校的Jianjun Cheng旨在开发易于制备具有侧基官能团的聚（α-羟基酸）的方法。 该项目将首先专注于设计和合成各种含有天然或非天然氨基酸侧链的O-羧酸酐单体。 然后将这些单体用于开发有机和金属催化的O-羧基氰酸酯的活性开环聚合，以产生具有官能化侧链的明确定义的聚（α-羟基酸）。 最后，聚（α-羟基酸）的一些应用，如它们在封装，共轭和膜渗透的用途，将进行探讨。更广泛的影响和拟议的教育和推广活动包括辅导学业表现不佳的本科生，并领导旨在激发高中和大学生对科学和工程的兴趣的暑期教育和推广计划。聚酯是在日常生活的许多方面遇到的有用材料：服装纤维、塑料瓶、塑料购物袋等。许多商业聚酯的一个缺点是它们不易改性以形成具有新性能的新材料。 在这个研究项目中，开发了包含不同类型化学基团的新型聚酯。 这些材料可能会影响一系列使用塑料的技术，例如聚酯塑料回收的新技术，可再生塑料的生产和用于生物医学应用的新功能材料。

In this project funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Chemistry Division of the National Science Foundation, Jianjun Cheng at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign aims to develop methods for facile preparation of poly(alpha-hydroxy acids) bearing pendant functionalities. The project will first focus on the design and synthesis of various O-carboxyanhydride monomers containing natural or unnatural amino acid side chains. These monomers will then be used in the development of organo- and metal-catalyzed, living ring-opening polymerization of O-carboxyanhydrides to yield well-defined poly(alpha-hydroxy acids) with functionalized side chains. Finally, some applications of poly(alpha-hydroxy acids), such as their uses in encapsulation, conjugation and membrane penetration, will be explored. The broader impacts and proposed education and outreach activities include mentoring academically underperforming undergraduate students and leading summer education and outreach programs designed for stimulating interest of high school and college students in science and engineering. Polyesters are useful materials encountered in many aspects of everyday life: clothing fiber, plastic bottles, plastic shopping bags, etc. One drawback of many commercial polyesters is that they are not easily modified to form new materials with new properties. In this research project, new classes of polyesters that incorporate different types of chemical groups are developed. Such materials could impact a range of technologies in which plastics are used, such as new technologies for recycling of polyester plastics, the generation of renewable plastics and new functional materials for biomedical applications.