Functional devices made with porous hollow nanocapsules

在美国国家科学基金会化学部大分子、超分子和纳米化学项目的支持下，康涅狄格大学尤金·平卡西克教授的研究小组创造了基于中空塑料胶囊的功能装置，这种胶囊的直径不超过10亿分之一米。这些微小的胶囊由聚合物（塑料）制成，旨在调节生物活性分子的吸收和释放，以及作为包含化学反应的隔间，产品可以随意释放。这种结构是为了模仿自然而设计的。它们的功能与细胞类似，细胞通过将不同的酶和生物分子安置在专门的小隔间中来控制生物功能。纳米胶囊的控制捕获和释放功能可能导致用于递送药物和医学显像剂的新设备。一种能够根据外部刺激产生产物的细胞模拟装置可能会在生物医学上得到应用，例如，在糖尿病的治疗中，根据葡萄糖水平调节胰岛素的产生。为了促进技术转让和提高教育经验，Pinkhassik教授为参与其研究技术转让的研究生和本科生提供指导。近年来，研究小组的几名研究生在商业计划竞赛中获奖。这个项目的许多具体子目标是应用驱动的，适合对产品开发和先进制造感兴趣的学生。囊泡模板聚合物纳米胶囊正在成为创造具有卓越性能的功能器件的可行平台。在有组织的自组装双层环境中，构建块的可控聚合使纳米胶囊的合成成为可能，这些纳米胶囊具有纳米薄的外壳，其中包含具有可控尺寸和化学环境的纳米孔。易于合成，加上壳的渗透性可控和纳米胶囊的长期稳定性，为构建混合细胞模拟纳米器件创造了机会。在美国国家科学基金会化学部大分子、超分子和纳米化学项目的支持下，本项目旨在扩大纳米胶囊平台的实用性。具体来说，Pinkhassik小组研究了含有被封装酶的纳米胶囊的反应性和稳定性。研究人员试图通过轮烷类结构建立通壳通信。特别感兴趣的领域包括酶级联反应和纳米胶囊的外部触发过程。该项目的教育和推广部分旨在吸引大学预科学生，扩大代表性不足的群体对科学的参与，并为各级学生提供指导和研究机会。

With the support of the Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry Program of the NSF Chemistry Division, the research group of Professor Eugene Pinkhassik at the University of Connecticut creates functional devices based on hollow capsules made of plastic that are no more than 1 billionth of a meter in diameter. These tiny capsules are made of polymers (plastics) and are designed to regulate the uptake and release of bioactive molecules as well as to serve as compartments for containing chemical reactions where the products can be released at will. Such structures are designed to mimic nature. They function in a similar way to cells that control biological functions by housing different enzymes and biological molecules in small specialized compartments. Controlled catch and release functionality of the nanocapsules may lead to new devices for the delivery of drugs and medical imaging agents. A cell-mimicking device capable of producing a product in response to an external stimulus may find biomedical applications, for example, regulating the production of insulin in response to the level of glucose in the management of diabetes. To facilitate technology transfer and to enhance the educational experience, Professor Pinkhassik provides mentoring for graduate and undergraduate students participating in the technology transfer of their research. In the recent years, several graduate students from the research group have won awards in business plan competitions. Many specific sub-goals of this project are application-driven and suitable for students interested in product development and advanced manufacturing.Vesicle-templated polymer nanocapsules are emerging as a viable platform for creating functional devices with superior performance. Controlled polymerization of building blocks in the organized environment of self-assembled bilayers enables the synthesis of nanocapsules with nanometer-thin shells containing nanopores with controlled size and chemical environment. The ease of synthesis coupled with the controlled permeability of the shells and long-term stability of nanocapsules creates an opportunity for building hybrid cell-mimicking nanodevices. With the support of the Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry Program of the NSF Chemistry Division, this project aims to expand the utility of the nanocapsule platform. Specifically, the Pinkhassik group investigates the reactivity and stability of nanocapsules containing encapsulated enzymes. The researchers seek establish through-shell communication with rotaxane-like structures. Areas of particular interest include enzymatic cascade reactions and externally triggered processes in nanocapsules. The educational and outreach components of this project aim at engaging pre-college students, expanding the participation of underrepresented groups in science, and providing mentorship and research opportunities to students at all levels.