NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) for FY 2013 in Japan

这项行动资助了西北大学的Carson J. Bruns于2013年夏天在日本东京文京区东京大学进行数学和物理科学的研究项目。该项目的标题是“编程简单的分子，使其自组装成具有复杂层次结构的定义良好的纳米颗粒。”主持会议的科学家是藤田诚教授。纳米技术的“自下而上”策略，打着自组装、超分子化学和分子纳米技术的旗号，往往对实验条件高度敏感，或者受到偶然发现的限制。这一领域的科学突破将以描述以更合理、可预测、健壮和定义良好的方式自组装日益复杂的纳米物体的方法为标志。为此，该奖项支持开发被称为M12L24球体的自组装金属有机分子纳米颗粒（其中M是金属离子，L是有机配体），以作为协调更复杂分子结构的分层自组装的平台。这一目标是通过在具有分子识别能力的配体上安装官能团来实现的，这使得它们能够参与多种兼容的自组装模式，这些自组装模式跨越了一系列强度和长度尺度，并包括“分子机器”原型的自组装，例如被称为连环烷、轮烷和假环紫杉烷的机械互锁分子。EAPSI奖学金的广泛影响包括为研究员提供美国以外的第一手研究经验；介绍该地区的科学、科学政策和科学基础设施；以及对社会、文化和语言的了解。这些活动符合美国国家科学基金会的目标，即在其科学家、工程师和教育工作者的职业生涯早期培养国际合作，从而确保美国科学劳动力具有全球意识。此外，该研究员通过在国际研究会议和日本和美国的合作国家实验室分享EAPSI的经验，向广大受众传播和加强科学理解。该研究员将通过在东道国指导本科生进行相关研究，将这种国际研究经验的好处扩展到年轻学生。

This action funds Carson J. Bruns of Northwestern University to conduct a research project in Math and Physical Sciences during the summer of 2013 at the University of Tokyo in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. The project title is "Programming Simple Molecules to Self-Assemble into Well-Defined Nanoparticles with Intricate Hierarchical Architectures." The host scientist is Professor Makoto Fujita.The 'bottom-up' strategies to nanotechnology, which carry the banners of self-assembly, supramolecular chemistry, and molecular nanotechnology, are often highly sensitive to experimental conditions or limited by serendipitous discovery. Scientific breakthroughs in this field will be marked by research that describes ways to self-assemble increasingly intricate nano-objects in a more rational, predictable, robust, and well-defined manner. Toward this end, the award supports the development of self-assembled metallo-organic molecular nanoparticles known as M12L24 spheres (where M is a metal ion and L is an organic ligand) to serve as a platform around which to orchestrate the hierarchical self-assembly of more complex molecular architectures. This goal is realized by installing functional groups on the ligands that have the capacity for molecular recognition, which allow them to participate in multiple compatible modes of self-assembly that span a spectrum of strengths and length scales, and include the self-assembly of 'molecular machine' prototypes such as mechanically interlocked molecules known as catenanes, rotaxanes, and pseudorotaxanes. Broader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. Furthermore, the Fellow disseminates and enhances scientific understanding to a broad audience by sharing the EAPSI experience at international research conferences and at collaborating national laboratories in both Japan and the United States. The Fellow will extend the benefits of this international research experience to younger students by mentoring undergraduates in related research at the host institution.