RUI: Developing Predictive Guidelines to Stabilize Gold Nanoparticles with Peptoids

在化学系大分子、超分子和纳米化学项目的支持下，圣克拉拉大学的Amelia A. Fuller教授将制备新的分子，并研究它们在水中稳定金纳米颗粒的能力。例如，金纳米颗粒具有独特的性质，使其成为医学诊断的重要和通用材料。为了在这些应用的富水环境中发挥作用，金纳米粒子需要涂上专门定制的分子。分子涂层的设计是为了防止纳米颗粒形成不溶的、无功能的聚集体。富勒教授和她实验室的本科生研究助理将研究一类被称为类肽的分子的用途，因为它们具有包裹金纳米粒子的能力。数十种具有不同分子性质的类肽将被合成和纯化。每一种物质通过聚集防止纳米颗粒失活的能力将被测量。研究小组将确定赋予纳米颗粒最佳稳定性的类肽的特定分子特征。参与研究的本科生将培养他们的技术和解决问题的能力。这些学生中的许多人将参与包含研究训练的入门级课程。这些经历将使大批学生具备在科学领域取得成功所需的熟练程度。胶体金纳米颗粒是一种用途广泛的材料，利用其异常敏感的光学特性，已经找到了广泛的应用。为了在环境和生理相关的水条件下发挥作用，金纳米颗粒必须用盖层配体进行表面修饰。理想的盖层配体在纳米颗粒表面形成一个包裹良好的层，它可以溶解纳米颗粒在水介质中，并保护核心免受导致它们聚集的盐和蛋白质的影响。在这个项目中，圣克拉拉大学的Amelia A. Fuller教授和她的团队将基于肽（n -取代甘氨酸）支架制备新的盖层配体，并研究它们在水中稳定金纳米颗粒的能力。将制备包含多种功能基团的序列特异性肽。他们稳定不同大小的金纳米颗粒的能力将被评估。最终，富勒实验室的目标是确定肽类盖层配体的关键分子特征，使金纳米颗粒具有最佳的稳定性。如果成功，这种理解将使肽包封纳米颗粒在各种传感和诊断应用中得到广泛应用。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。

With the support of the Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Amelia A. Fuller of Santa Clara University will prepare new molecules and investigate their ability to stabilize gold nanoparticles in water. Gold nanoparticles have unique properties that make them important and versatile materials for medical diagnostics, for example. To function in water-rich environments for these applications, gold nanoparticles need to coated with specially tailored molecules. The molecular coatings are designed to prevent nanoparticles from forming insoluble, non-functional aggregates. Professor Fuller and undergraduate research assistants in her laboratory will investigate the use of a class of molecules called peptoids for their capacity to coat gold nanoparticles. Dozens of peptoids with different molecular properties will be synthesized and purified. The ability of each of these to prevent nanoparticle inactivation through aggregation will be measured. The research team will determine the specific molecular features of peptoids that confer optimal stability to the nanoparticles. Undergraduate students who participate in the research will cultivate their technical and problem-solving skills. Many of these students will be engaged through introductory-level coursework that incorporates research training. These experiences will equip a large cross-section of students with proficiencies they need for successful careers in science. Colloidal gold nanoparticles are versatile materials that have found wide-ranging applications that leverage their extraordinarily sensitive optical properties. To function in environmentally and physiologically relevant aqueous conditions, gold nanoparticles must be surface-modified with capping ligands. Ideal capping ligands form a well-packed layer on the nanoparticle surface that solubilizes the nanoparticle in aqueous media and shields the core from the salts and proteins that cause them to agglomerate. In this project, Professor Amelia A. Fuller and her group at Santa Clara University will prepare new capping ligands based on the peptoid (N-substituted glycine) scaffold, and investigate their ability to stabilize gold nanoparticles in water. Sequence-specific peptoids that incorporate a wide diversity of functional groups will be prepared. Their ability to stabilize gold nanoparticles of varied sizes will be evaluated. Ultimately, the Fuller laboratory aim to identify critical molecular features of peptoid capping ligands that confer optimal stability to gold nanoparticles. If successful, this understanding will enable the use of peptoid-capped nanoparticles in a wide variety of sensing and diagnostic applications.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.