CAREER: Fundamentals of Conformational and Surface Water Dynamics in Supramolecular Nanofibers

职业：超分子纳米纤维的构象和表面水动力学基础

• 批准号: 2331196
• 负责人: Julia Ortony
• 金额: $ 60万
• 依托单位: University of California-San Diego
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-15 至 2024-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2331196&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Fundamentals; Conformational; Surface; Water

With this CAREER Award from the Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry Program in the Chemistry Division, Professor Julia Ortony at Massachusetts Institute of Technology is studying self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules in water. Amphiphilic molecules possess both water-loving and fat-loving properties. They are typically found in soaps and detergents, and are the main component of cell membranes, where individual molecules are free to move within and between cellular components. In this research, new amphiphiles are used to create self-assembled nanostructures, however, in these nanostructure the individual molecules are fixed in place. The molecular motion of these systems is then carefully studied using sophisticated techniques that provide information about the motions of molecules and surface water in a well known material, Kevlar (used for bullet-proof vests). Research associated with this award has the potential to advance fundamental understanding of chemical reactions at surfaces, and binding and folding events in biological molecules. This work provides training and education to a diverse group of students in supramolecular chemistry and materials science. Educational activities focus on the modernization of the materials chemistry undergraduate core curriculum, the design of a new advanced molecular materials course for undergraduates, and teaching of a molecular materials characterization course for graduate students. Professor Ortony also plans to continue her participation in several mentorship activities such as MIT's Women of MatSci group, MIT-DOW ACCESS program, undergraduate advising for women in engineering, and the MIT Graduate Materials Council. This research is focused on the design and synthesis of a new platform of amphiphilic molecules that spontaneously self-assemble into nanofibers in water. This self-assembly platform exhibits extraordinary mechanical properties that results from strong and collective intermolecular hydrogen bonding programmed into the initial molecular design. In the first objective, amphiphiles are synthesized with varying surface charge and molecular flexibility. The second objective focuses on quantifying nanofiber internal conformational dynamics by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and nanofiber flexibility and strength by statistical topographical analyses. The last objective concentrates on understanding the relationship between molecular features, water dynamics, and surface recognition events from tethered functional groups. The fundamental knowledge generated by this research has the potential to significantly contribute to the general understanding of supramolecular assembly, the dynamics of nanostructures in water, and recognition events at interfaces.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.

麻省理工学院的Julia Ortony教授获得了化学学部大分子、超分子和纳米化学项目颁发的CAREER奖，她正在研究两亲分子在水中的自组装。两亲分子同时具有亲水和亲脂的特性。它们通常存在于肥皂和洗涤剂中，是细胞膜的主要成分，单个分子可以在细胞成分内部和之间自由移动。在这项研究中，新的两亲分子被用来制造自组装的纳米结构，然而，在这些纳米结构中，单个分子是固定的。然后使用复杂的技术仔细研究这些系统的分子运动，这些技术提供了已知材料凯夫拉（用于防弹背心）中分子和地表水运动的信息。与该奖项相关的研究有可能促进对表面化学反应的基本理解，以及生物分子中的结合和折叠事件。这项工作为超分子化学和材料科学的不同学生群体提供培训和教育。教学活动主要围绕材料化学本科核心课程的现代化、本科新型高级分子材料课程的设计和研究生分子材料表征课程的教学展开。奥托尼教授还计划继续参加一些指导活动，如麻省理工学院的女性数学小组、麻省理工学院-陶氏ACCESS项目、为工科女性提供本科建议，以及麻省理工学院研究生材料委员会。本研究的重点是设计和合成一种新的两亲分子平台，该平台可以在水中自发自组装成纳米纤维。这种自组装平台表现出非凡的机械性能，这是由于在最初的分子设计中编程了强大的集体分子间氢键。在第一个目标中，合成了具有不同表面电荷和分子柔韧性的两亲分子。第二个目标是通过电子顺磁共振（EPR）量化纳米纤维的内部构象动力学，并通过统计地形分析量化纳米纤维的柔韧性和强度。最后一个目标集中在理解分子特征、水动力学和系链官能团表面识别事件之间的关系。本研究产生的基础知识有可能对超分子组装、水中纳米结构动力学和界面识别事件的一般理解做出重大贡献。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。