CAREER: Fluorogenic Radical Polymerization for Signal Amplification and Detection

在化学系大分子、超分子和纳米化学（MSN）项目的支持下，Trinity大学的Christina Cooley博士正在研究由非荧光“暗”单体制备的荧光聚合物。 将多个暗单体并入长聚合物链中“开启”可见荧光发射，随着聚合物链的生长亮度增加。本研究的目的是确定新的单体，以开发在露天和水溶液中制备荧光聚合物的合成策略，并揭示控制聚合动力学和荧光性能的基本原理。库利小组还将探索荧光聚合在信号放大平台中的应用，以灵敏地检测生物分子及其相互作用。信号放大传感平台在包括生物标志物的医学诊断的一系列应用中是潜在有用的。从事这项研究的本科生将接受广泛的跨学科实践培训，为未来的科学职业做准备。一个新的本科有机化学实验室课程将开发，整合概念和解决问题的动手科学训练。PI还建立了一个STEM推广计划，由女大学生领导当地小学，以促进STEM领域的保留和多样性。Cooley小组将通过原子转移自由基聚合（ATRP）使用电子转移再生活化剂（ARGET-ATRP）方法确定用于在水溶液中合成荧光聚合物的单体。将开发合成方法，使荧光聚合的可逆加成-断裂链转移（RAFT）在露天。为了精确控制聚合物长度并将观察到的荧光与引发剂浓度相关联，本研究旨在揭示这些荧光聚合物的聚合动力学和荧光性质的基本原理。这一基础知识将为设计灵敏的信号放大平台提供信息，用于定性和定量检测分析物和受体-配体结合相互作用。该奖项反映了NSF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。

With the support of the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry (MSN) Program in the Division of Chemistry, Dr. Christina Cooley of Trinity University is studying fluorogenic polymers that are prepared from non-fluorescent, "dark" monomers. The incorporation of multiple dark monomers into a long polymer chain "turns-on" visible fluorescence emission with increasing brightness as the polymer chain grows. This research aims to identify new monomers to develop synthetic strategies for preparing fluorogenic polymers in open-air and aqueous solution, and to reveal fundamental principles that govern polymerization kinetics and fluorescence properties. The Cooley group will also explore the use of fluorogenic polymerization in signal amplification platforms for the sensitive detection of biomolecules and their interactions. Signal-amplified sensing platforms are potentially useful in a range of applications including medical diagnosis of biomarkers. Undergraduate students engaging in this research will receive broad, interdisciplinary hands-on training in preparation for future careers in science. A new undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory course will be developed that integrates concepts and problem-solving with hands-on scientific training. The PI is also establishing a STEM outreach program to local elementary schools led by female undergraduates to foster retention and diversity in STEM fields. The Cooley group will identify monomers for the synthesis of fluorogenic polymers in aqueous solution by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using the activators regenerated by electron transfer (ARGET-ATRP) method. Synthetic approaches will be developed to enable fluorogenic polymerization by reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) in the open air. To allow exquisite control of polymer length and to correlate the observed fluorescence with initiator concentration, this research aims to reveal the fundamental principles that govern polymerization kinetics and fluorescence properties of these fluorogenic polymers. This fundamental knowledge will inform the design of a sensitive, signal amplification platform for qualitative and quantitative detection of analytes and receptor-ligand binding interactions.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.