Design and Self-Assembly of Giant Metallo-Supramolecules Based on Density of Coordination Sites (DOCS)

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In this project funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry Program of the Division of Chemistry, Xiaopeng Li of Texas State University and his coworkers will design and synthesize ligands with well-defined geometry and multiple coordination sites and characterize the 2D and 3D supramolecular structures resuling therefrom. A wide variety of biological molecules (such as DNAs and proteins) have very complex structures and 3-dimensional (3D) architectures that are important for their biological functions. Inspired by nature, Prof. Li conducts research to develop self-assembly strategies to creating complex chemical structures with unique properties. Of particular interest is the preparation of metallo-gels with self-healing properties that may be useful in batteries. This project is expected to provide an excellent platform for interdisciplinary research training of postdoctoral associates, graduate students, and undergraduate students, especially underrepresented minorities from the South Central Texas region.The targeted metallosupramolecular structures are envisioned to result from the coordination of metal ions (e.g., Zn(II), Fe(II) and Pd(II)) by the designed multitopic ligands. The research team will prepare metallo-gels and explore their potential applications as self-healing materials and binder materials of batteries. The level of complexity is often attained by self-assembly of structurally simple subunits (or building blocks) which have specific functionalities and geometries to direct their assembly into sophisticated structures of precisely controlled size, shape and properties.The Li research group aims to gain insights into the fundamental chemistry principles that control supramolecular self-assemblies and to prepare novel materials with unique properties.