EAGER: SusChEM: Investigating the Structure-Property Relationships of Sugar-Derived Block Copolymers

非技术总结：本提案的目的是设计和研究来自糖衍生天然资源的具有特殊分子结构和性质的新型材料。 这些特性将包括在水溶液中可调的温度响应行为。 这些材料将由不同类型的聚合物连接在一起（“嵌段共聚物”），其两个组件可以有不同的分子结构，分子长度，化学结构等的影响，所有这些参数将研究这些分子的自组装和所得材料的结构-性能关系。 这项研究工作的主要成果可能会导致新的范式聚合物的设计，合成和自组装通过使用高度丰富的自然资源。 此外，该项目的一个主要重点是教育和外联活动。该研究小组将与华盛顿大学的学校合作研究所合作，为圣路易斯社区代表性不足和贫困学生开展外展和教育活动。技术概要：该项目的长期研究目标是使技术能够设计和合成高性能和可再生的聚合材料，利用木质纤维素细胞壁碳水化合物解聚产生的各种糖。从木质纤维素获得的糖代表了丰富的和可再生的原料，其潜在地可以减少对基于石油的资源的依赖。为此，PI将设计和合成可再生的糖衍生的嵌段共聚物（BCP），在水溶液中表现出可调的温度响应行为。 具体目标将涉及开发可定制的BCP从设计师，糖衍生的，和立体特异性单体通过控制聚合，然后检查自组装和结构-性能关系与设计的解决方案组装的两亲性BCP的可调和温度响应的解决方案应用。 待探索的设计参数包括：悬垂拓扑结构（即，直链与支链糖衍生物）;侧链化学结构（即，疏水性和亲水性）;嵌段体积分数和组成;和总分子量。该项目与一个强有力的教育和外联部分相结合，旨在扩大代表性不足群体的参与。

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:The aim of this proposal is to design and study novel materials from sugar-derived natural resources that would have special molecular architectures and properties. Such properties would include tunable, temperature-responsive behavior in water solutions. The materials will consist of different types of polymers linked together ("block copolymers") whose two components can have different molecular architectures, molecular lengths, chemical structures, etc. The effects of all these parameters will be investigated on the self-assembly of these molecules and on the structure-property relationships of the resulting materials. The major outcomes of this research effort may lead to new paradigms for polymer design, synthesis, and self-assembly through the use of highly abundant natural resources. Additionally, the project includes a major focus on educational and outreach activities. The team of investigators will collaborate with the Institute for School Partnership of Washington University to develop outreach and education activities for underrepresented and underprivileged students in the St. Louis community.TECHNICAL SUMMARY:The long-term research goal of this project is to enable technologies for the design and synthesis of high-performance and renewable polymeric materials that exploit various sugars produced by lignocellulosic cell-wall carbohydrate depolymerization. Sugars obtained from lignocellulose represent an abundant and renewable feedstock that potentially could reduce reliance on petroleum-based resources. To this end, the PIs will design and synthesize renewable sugar-derived block copolymers (BCP) that exhibit tunable temperature-responsive behavior in aqueous solution. Specific aims will involve developing tailorable BCPs from designer, sugar-derived, and stereo-specific monomers through controlled polymerization; then examining the self-assembly and structure-property relationships associated with the design of solution-assembled amphiphilic BCPs for tunable and temperature-responsive solution applications. Design parameters to be explored include: pendant topological structure (i.e., linear vs. branched sugar derivative); pendant chemical structure (i.e., hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity); block volume fractions and compositions; and overall molecular weight. The project is integrated with a strong educational and outreach component aimed at broadening participation of underrepresented groups.