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)计划的支持下，三一大学的Christina Cooley博士正在研究由非荧光、“暗”单体制备的荧光聚合物。将多个暗色单体加入到一个长的聚合物链中，“开启”可见荧光发射，并随着聚合物链的增长而增加亮度。这项研究旨在寻找新的单体，以开发在露天和水溶液中制备含氟聚合物的合成策略，并揭示支配聚合动力学和荧光性质的基本原理。库利小组还将探索在信号放大平台中使用荧光聚合技术，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疗诊断在内的一系列应用中具有潜在的应用价值。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。将开发一门新的本科有机化学实验室课程，将概念和解决问题与动手科学培训相结合。国际和平研究所还建立了一项STEM外联方案，由女本科生领导当地小学，以促进STEM领域的保留率和多样性。Cooley小组将使用电子转移再生激活剂(ARGET-ATRP)方法在水溶液中通过原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)来鉴定合成含氟聚合物的单体。合成方法将被开发为能够在户外通过可逆加成-断裂链转移(RAFT)进行荧光聚合。为了能够精确地控制聚合物长度，并将观察到的荧光与引发剂浓度相关联，本研究旨在揭示控制这些含氟聚合物的聚合动力学和荧光性能的基本原理。这一基本知识将指导设计一个灵敏的信号放大平台，用于分析物和受体-配体结合作用的定性和定量检测。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.