Synthesis and study of glycoconjugates and carbohydrate based macrocycles

碳水化合物是可再生的丰富的自然资源。利用现成的糖，如葡萄糖、果糖或乳糖作为构建块，老道明大学王贵军教授的研究小组正在开发新的策略，将糖组装成具有明确形状和功能的大分子。由此产生的分子系统有助于理解碳水化合物与其他生物分子的相互作用。应用包括发现新的催化剂和先进的生物材料。从丰富的碳水化合物中创造新型、功能性和生物相容性的材料对于绿色化学、材料科学和生物医学科学的发展至关重要。该项目为各级学生，特别是本科生和研究生提供了受教育的机会。学生参与有机合成和生物有机、药物和材料化学的跨学科研究。研究生有在制药公司实习的机会。低分子量凝胶（LMWGs）可以自组装并形成可逆的超分子凝胶，是一类应用广泛的软质材料。王教授的团队正在开发合成方法，以获得几种类型的糖仿制品，这些糖仿制品可以形成可逆的水凝胶、有机凝胶和其他功能分子组合。本课题的主要目的是：1)合成和研究具有分子凝胶和催化配体功能的新系列杂环功能化糖衍生物。2)有效分子凝胶或催化剂的功能化，通过形成支链或线性低聚物来提高其性能。多功能自组装系统的设计保留了lmwg的结构灵活性，同时也显示了机械强度和稳定性。杂环链碳水化合物大环的合成与表征。这些糖宏环作为新型催化剂或酶抑制剂具有重要的潜在应用价值。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Carbohydrates are renewable and abundant natural resources. Using readily available sugars such as glucose, fructose, or lactose as building blocks, the research group of Professor Guijun Wang at Old Dominion University is developing new strategies for assembling sugars into large molecules with defined shape and functions. The resulting molecular systems are useful for understanding carbohydrate interactions with other biomolecules. Applications include the discovery of new catalysts and advanced biomaterials. The creation of novel, functional and biocompatible materials from abundant carbohydrates is important for the advancement of green chemistry, material sciences, and biomedical sciences. The project provides educational opportunities for students at all levels, especially undergraduate and graduate students. Students participate in interdisciplinary research in organic synthesis and bioorganic, medicinal, and materials chemistry. Graduate students have industrial internship opportunities in pharmaceutical companies. Low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) can self-assemble and form reversible supramolecular gels, a category of soft materials with many applications. Professor Wang's group is developing synthetic methods to obtain several classes of glycomimetics that can form reversible hydrogels and organogels and other functional molecular assemblies. The main aims of the proposed research are: 1) The synthesis and study of new series of heterocycle functionalized sugar derivatives that may function as molecular gelators and ligands for catalysis. 2) The functionalization of effective molecular gelators or catalysts to improve their performance through formation of branched or linear oligomers. The multifunctional self-assembling systems are designed to retain the structural flexibility of LMWGs while also displaying mechanical strength and stability. 3) The synthesis and characterization of heterocycle-linked, carbohydrate-based macrocycles. These glycomacrocycles have important potential applications as novel catalysts or enzyme inhibitors.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.