Allosterically Regulated Supramolecular Capsules and Receptors Assembled via the WLA

在这个由大分子、超分子和纳米化学项目资助的项目中，西北大学的Chad A. Mirkin教授正在开发特殊分子合成的设计规则，这些特殊分子可以作为具有可控大小和识别特性的胶囊，用于探测器、分子分离和催化。这些胶囊的合理设计和合成是超分子结构组装领域的一个重大挑战，可能会导致与临床医学中必不可少的药物纯化，对化学和石油工业重要的低价值向高价值化学原料的转化以及对环境测试和食品包装领域至关重要的化学传感器的发展相关的重大进展。具体来说，该项目侧重于开发刺激反应异二聚体胶囊，使用强大且可推广的化学物质，可在各种环境中实施。在弱链接方法的背景下，各种胶囊正在合成和研究中，最有前途的是使用x射线晶体学，多核磁共振波谱学，等温滴定量热法，质谱法和紫外-可见光谱法进一步表征。这些新型异二聚体胶囊的化学和物理性质正在通过与核心机构（如西北大学的综合分子结构教育和研究中心（IMSERC））的合作来确定。米尔金建立了旨在吸引来自世界各地的当地高中生和本科生的外展项目。这些项目的重点是指导学生，教授他们实验室研究的技术方面，并为他们的学术生涯的下一阶段做好准备。这些年轻的学生在该领域的前沿学习科学研究，并与顶尖的科学家、研究生和博士后研究人员互动。这项工作为年轻学生，包括代表性不足的少数民族提供了一个训练基地，并为他们提供了开发能够显著改善许多美国人生活的技术所必需的基本科学知识。

In this project, funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry program, Professor Chad A. Mirkin of Northwestern University is developing design rules for the synthesis of special molecules that can serve as capsules with controllable size and recognition properties for applications in detectors, molecular separations, and catalysis. The rational design and synthesis of these capsules, is a significant challenge in the field of the assembly of supramolecular structures, could lead to significant advances related to the purification of pharmaceuticals essential in clinical medicine, the conversion of low-value to high-value chemical feedstocks important to the chemical and petroleum industries, and the development of chemical sensors critical to the environmental testing and food packaging fields. Specifically, this project focuses on the development of stimuli-responsive heterodimeric capsules, using robust and generalizable chemistry that can be implemented in a wide variety of settings. Various capsules are being synthesized and studied in the context of the Weak-Link approach, and the most promising are being characterized further using X-ray crystallography, multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry, mass spectrometry, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The chemical and physical properties of these novel heterodimeric capsules are being defined through collaborative efforts with core facilities, such as the Integrated Molecular Structure Education and Research Center (IMSERC), at Northwestern University. Outreach programs aimed at engaging local high school students and undergraduates from around the world have been established by Mirkin. These programs focus on mentoring students, teaching them technical aspects of laboratory research, and preparing them for the next stage of their academic careers. These young students are learning about scientific research at the forefront of the field and interacting with leading scientists, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers. This work provides a training ground for young students, including underrepresented minorities, and equips them with basic science knowledge essential for developing technologies that can significantly improve the lives of many Americans.