Unimolecular Micelles: Design, Synthesis, and Properties

单分子胶束：设计、合成和特性

• 批准号: 1310453
• 负责人: Douglas Adamson
• 金额: $ 20万
• 依托单位: University of Connecticut
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-09-15 至 2016-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1310453&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Unimolecular; Micelles; Design; Synthesis; Properties

In this project, funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Douglas Adamson of the University of Connecticut will synthesize and study polymers that can form stable, single chain globules in solution. Natural proteins, in a very general sense, are polymers containing mostly hydrophobic monomers and a relatively thin layer of hydrophilic monomers at the surface of the protein globule. It has been predicted that single chain polymer globules can be stabilized to aggregation and precipitation if they possess this type of morphology. To test this prediction, polymers will be synthesized that contain a hydrophobic main chain and a set number of hydrophilic grafts serving to stabilize the single polymer chain against flocculation and precipitation. The design of the polymer architecture will be driven and informed by theoretical work that predicts the effect of the placement and type of hydrophilic components on the stability and morphology of the synthesized polymer. The broader impacts such research include increasing our understanding of the folding and morphology of proteins, as well as opening the door for synthetic materials that may perform some of the functions of proteins. In addition, the project will involve visits to local schools and will contribute to the training of undergraduate and graduate students.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 many methods to assembly nanostructures, including the folding of proteins into precisely defined 3-dimensional nanostructures. Polymers are long chain organic molecules and are found in many facets of everyday life that utilize plastics, including food packaging, structural materials for automotive and aerospace transportation, and lightweight electronic devices. This project seeks to understand how synthetic polymers can mimic the nanostructure forming abilities of proteins at a very fundamental level. Ultimately, precisely defined synthetic nanostructures could impact technologies ranging from pharmaceuticals to biotechnology and electronics.

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，康涅狄格大学的道格拉斯·亚当森将合成和研究能够在溶液中形成稳定的单链球的聚合物。天然蛋白质，在非常一般的意义上，是在蛋白质球的表面上主要含有疏水性单体和相对薄的亲水性单体层的聚合物。 据预测，如果单链聚合物球具有这种类型的形态，则它们可以稳定地聚集和沉淀。为了测试这一预测，将合成含有疏水主链和一定数量的亲水接枝的聚合物，所述亲水接枝用于稳定单个聚合物链以防止絮凝和沉淀。聚合物结构的设计将由理论工作驱动和通知，该理论工作预测亲水组分的放置和类型对合成聚合物的稳定性和形态的影响。这种研究的更广泛影响包括增加我们对蛋白质折叠和形态的理解，以及为可能执行蛋白质某些功能的合成材料打开大门。此外，该项目还将包括访问当地学校，并将协助培训本科生和研究生。创造具有纳米量级尺寸的精确定义的结构（称为“纳米结构”）仍然是化学家面临的挑战。 大自然已经完善了许多组装纳米结构的方法，包括将蛋白质折叠成精确定义的三维纳米结构。 聚合物是长链有机分子，存在于日常生活中使用塑料的许多方面，包括食品包装，汽车和航空航天运输的结构材料以及轻质电子设备。该项目旨在了解合成聚合物如何在非常基础的水平上模仿蛋白质的纳米结构形成能力。 最终，精确定义的合成纳米结构可能会影响从制药到生物技术和电子技术的技术。