CAREER: Bioinspired Adaptively Reconfigurable Material Systems for Programmable and Autonomous Metal Ion Separations

从流体混合物中高效提取分子对于从水处理中的化学分析到有毒或稀有金属的去除和回收等应用至关重要。目前用于此的方法依赖于多步骤和高能耗操作。受无缝捕获和运输选择性生物分子的生物分离过程的效率的启发，该项目旨在使用基于响应性聚合物的材料系统从液体混合物中实现目标分子的协调“捕获和释放”。创新源于程序化的一步分拣，周转时间短。混合材料系统的模块化设计是高度可定制的，因为它具有广泛的化学选择、可调力学和物理简单性。该项目的职业发展计划为在流动流体中高效捕获和分离分子的长期研究计划奠定了基础。最终，该技术平台可能会导致下一代在线分离，传感和监测技术，并被转化为智能技术，机器人，生物工程和其他自主系统的更广泛领域。计划开展各种综合研究和教育活动，通过整合K-12、本科、本研究的目标是应用生物启发策略，在一个步骤中无缝分离生物分子，以创新自适应可重构材料。该系统基于刺激响应性水凝胶，并实现从液体混合物中连续“捕获和释放”目标分子。这项研究探讨了在不同化学环境中分子结合亲和力的基本问题，这将有助于发现新的吸附剂。为了评估该系统的分离性能，将进行定量分选效率评估、系统稳健性检查（具有对多个分离循环的适应性）和优化。实际上，这些系统包含了显著的模块化和设计灵活性，以允许集成和升级广泛的应用。这项研究整合了化学，材料和化学工程的学科。计划开展各种教育和外联活动，以促进与生物启发工程和分离研究领域有关的研究、教育和认识。这些措施包括在校园生物启发工程课程与在线渠道集成的发展，和女性本科生，研究生和K-12学生参与研究项目，利用现有的基础设施在亚利桑那州立大学高中暑期学院，富尔顿本科研究计划和公共媒体。

CAREER 1552690 - HeThe efficient extraction of molecules from fluid mixtures is vital for applications ranging from chemical analysis in water treatment to toxic or rare metal removal and recovery. Current methods for this rely on multi-step and high energy consumption operations. Inspired by the efficiency of biological separation processes that seamlessly capture and transport selective biomolecules, this project seeks to achieve a concerted "catch and release" of target molecules from a liquid mixture using responsive polymer-based material systems. The innovation arises from the programmed one-step sorting with low turnaround times. The modular design of the hybrid material system is highly customizable owing to its broad choice of chemistries, tunable mechanics, and physical simplicity. This project's career development plan provides the foundation for a long-term research program in highly efficient capture and isolation of molecules in flowing fluids. Ultimately, this technology platform may lead to the next-generation in-line separation, sensing, and monitoring technologies and be translated into broader areas of smart technology, robotics, bioengineering, and other autonomous systems. A variety of integrated research and educational activities are planned to develop bioinspired engineering curriculum by integrating the research and online media at the K-12, undergraduate, and graduate levels and to increase public awareness of bioinspired technologies and their societal impacts.The goal of this research is to apply the bioinspired strategy that seamlessly separates biomolecules in a single step to innovate adaptively reconfigurable material systems based on stimuli-responsive hydrogels and to realize continuous "catch and release" of target molecules from a liquid mixture. This research explores fundamental questions of molecular binding affinity in different chemical environments that would facilitate the discovery of new adsorbents. To assess the separation performance of the system, quantitative sorting efficiency evaluation, system robustness examination with amenability to multiple separation cycles, and optimization will be conducted. Practically, the systems encompass significant modularity and design flexibility to permit integration and upscaling for broad applications. This research integrates the disciplines of chemistry, materials, and chemical engineering. Diverse education and outreach activities are planned to promote research, education, and awareness related to bioinspired engineering and separation research fields. These include the development of a bioinspired engineering course on campus integrated with an online channel, and female undergraduate, graduate, and K-12 students participation in the research project, using existing infrastructure in the ASU High School Summer Academy, the Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative program, and public media.