Programmable Catalysts Designed to Replicate Flexible Polymers

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Nature employs catalytic processes to replicate biopolymers (e.g., DNA) from templates. Such processes are vital for sustaining life. Meanwhile, man-made polymers are widely used in everyday life. Learning how to amplify man-made polymers efficiently has important impacts on future advances in many fields, such as medicine, electronics, and renewable energy. With the support from the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the NSF Chemistry Division, Prof. Severin Schneebeli at the University of Vermont is investigating how to replicate well-defined, man-made polymers efficiently. His research group aims to develop synthetic approaches to preparing functional polymers from templates in a sustainable manner. Students at all academic levels participating in this fundamental research gain valuable, multi-disciplinary insight and experience in chemical synthesis, computer modeling, and materials science. Furthermore, Professor Schneebeli organizes educational outreach events at the ECHO lake aquarium and science center in Burlington, VT, to engage the public in science.To reach the aforementioned goals, this research aims to develop catalysts - large molecular strips built with chirality-assisted synthesis - which facilitate the accurate replication of man-made polymers. As steric protection groups, these catalysts are designed to embrace the polymer strands during the duplication processes to reduce common replication mistakes. The synthetic approach focuses on key physical interactions commanding the accuracy of replication for different catalyst/monomer pairs. Ultimately, this research is devised to discover general design rules for the creation of shape-defined, complex macromolecular structures, which can readily be amplified exponentially. Professor Schneebeli unites art, engineering, and chemistry to engage the public in science and its potential outcomes by organizing educational outreach events at the ECHO lake aquarium and science center in Burlington, VT. With interactive, 3D-printed, LEGO-like models, these outreach activities educate the public about the genetic code of life and illustrate how man-made approaches towards sustainable, replication-based materials synthesis relate to nature?s methods of creating materials.