Functional devices made with porous hollow nanocapsules

在美国国家科学基金会化学部高分子、超分子和纳米化学计划的支持下，康涅狄格大学尤金·平卡西克教授的研究小组创造了基于塑料制成的中空胶囊的功能设备，这些胶囊的直径不超过十亿分之一米。这些微小的胶囊是由聚合物(塑料)制成的，旨在调节生物活性分子的吸收和释放，并用作容纳化学反应的隔间，产品可以在其中随意释放。这样的结构是为了模仿自然而设计的。它们的功能类似于控制生物功能的细胞，通过将不同的酶和生物分子存放在小的专门隔间中。纳米胶囊的受控捕获和释放功能可能导致用于药物和医学显像剂输送的新设备。一种能够根据外部刺激产生产品的细胞模拟设备可能会在生物医学上得到应用，例如，在糖尿病的治疗中，根据血糖水平调节胰岛素的产生。为了促进技术转让和提高教育体验，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，研究组的几名研究生在商业计划竞赛中获奖。该项目的许多具体子目标都是由应用程序驱动的，适合对产品开发和先进制造感兴趣的学生。微囊模板聚合物纳米胶囊正在成为创造具有卓越性能的功能设备的可行平台。在自组装双层膜的有序环境中，通过控制构建块的聚合，可以合成具有纳米薄壳的纳米胶囊，其中包含尺寸和化学环境可控的纳米孔。易于合成，再加上壳的可控渗透性和纳米胶囊的长期稳定性，为构建混合细胞仿生纳米设备创造了机会。在美国国家科学基金会化学部大分子、超分子和纳米化学计划的支持下，该项目旨在扩大纳米胶囊平台的用途。具体来说，Pinkhassik小组研究了含有微囊化酶的纳米胶囊的反应性和稳定性。研究人员寻求与轮烷类结构建立穿透壳层通信。特别感兴趣的领域包括酶促级联反应和纳米胶囊的外部触发过程。该项目的教育和宣传部分旨在吸引大学预科学生，扩大未被充分代表的群体对科学的参与，并向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.