CAREER: Selective Thiol-Ene and Thiol-Yne Chemistry, From First Principles to Organic Materials

在这个由化学系高分子、超分子和纳米化学项目资助的项目中，卫斯理大学的布赖恩·诺斯罗普正在研究如何引导化学反应在分子之间形成特定的连接并形成聚合物。聚合物是一种长链有机分子，存在于日常生活的许多方面，使用塑料，包括食品包装、汽车和航空航天运输的结构材料，以及轻型电子设备。这些见解将为制造各种材料和创造具有新特性的新型材料提供更有效的方法。这项研究的结果预计将影响药物靶向输送材料的开发、新的消费者护理产品和新的塑料材料。在这个项目中，布赖恩·诺斯罗普正在研究硫醇与烯烃和炔烃的基本反应性。研究目标包括硫醇-烯和硫醇-炔反应机理的第一性原理计算模拟，选择性硫醇-烯和硫醇-炔反应条件的合成测试的小分子模型研究，以及这些新方法在有机大分子材料合成中的应用。该项目将这些研究目标与外联计划相结合，包括为小学生举办聚合物科学实践讲习班，以及开发材料化学跨学科计划，以增加本科生对科学的参与和留住。虽然硫醇-烯和硫醇-炔反应在聚合物和材料化学的多个领域都有广泛的用途，但目前很少有已知的方法来进行本研究项目所涉及的选择性硫醇-烯和硫醇-炔反应。这项研究应该能够开发出更有效的方法来制备具有选择性可调性能的复杂、多功能材料。

In this project funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Brian Northrop of Wesleyan University is investigating how to direct chemical reactions to form specific linkages between molecules and form polymers. 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. These insights will provide more efficient methods for making a variety of materials and for creating new types of materials with novel properties. The results of this research are expected to impact applications such as the development of materials for the targeted delivery of drugs, new consumer care products, and new plastic materials.In this project Brian Northrop is investigating the fundamental reactivity of thiols with alkenes and alkynes. The research objectives include first principles computational modeling of thiol-ene and thiol-yne reaction mechanisms, small molecule model studies for synthetic testing of selective thiol-ene and thiol-yne reaction conditions, and implementation of these new methods in the synthesis of organic macromaterials. The project integrates these research goals with outreach programs that include hands-on workshops in polymer science for elementary school students and the development of an interdisciplinary program in materials chemistry that will increase the participation and retention of undergraduate students in the sciences. While both thiol-ene and thiol-yne reactions have found broad utility across multiple areas of polymer and materials chemistry there are, at present, few known methods for carrying out selective thiol-ene and thiol-yne reactions, which this research project addresses. This research should enable the development of more efficient means to prepare complex, multifunctional materials with selectively tunable properties.