RUI: Developing Predictive Guidelines to Stabilize Gold Nanoparticles with Peptoids

在化学系的大分子、超分子和纳米化学项目的支持下，阿米莉亚·A。圣克拉拉大学的富勒将制备新的分子，并研究它们在水中稳定金纳米粒子的能力。金纳米颗粒具有独特的性质，使其成为医学诊断的重要和多功能材料。为了在这些应用中在富含水的环境中发挥作用，金纳米颗粒需要涂上特别定制的分子。分子涂层被设计成防止纳米颗粒形成不溶性的非功能性聚集体。富勒教授和她实验室的本科生研究助理将研究一类名为类肽的分子的用途，因为它们有能力包覆金纳米颗粒。将合成和纯化数十种具有不同分子特性的类肽。将测量这些中的每一种通过聚集防止纳米颗粒失活的能力。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通过介绍性的课程，其中包括研究培训。这些经验将装备学生的专业知识，他们需要在科学事业取得成功的大横截面。胶体金纳米颗粒是一种多功能材料，利用其非常敏感的光学特性，已经发现了广泛的应用。为了在环境和生理相关的水性条件下发挥作用，金纳米颗粒必须用封端配体进行表面改性。理想的封端配体在纳米颗粒表面上形成良好填充的层，其将纳米颗粒溶解在水性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，Amelia A.圣克拉拉大学的Fuller和她的团队将基于类肽（N-取代甘氨酸）支架制备新的封端配体，并研究它们在水中稳定金纳米颗粒的能力。将制备包含多种官能团的序列特异性类肽。将评估它们稳定不同尺寸的金纳米颗粒的能力。最终，富勒实验室的目标是确定类肽加帽配体的关键分子特征，这些配体赋予金纳米颗粒最佳的稳定性。如果成功的话，这一理解将使类肽封端的纳米颗粒在各种传感和诊断应用中的使用成为可能。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 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.