Planning: PREC: Improved Properties and Additive Manufacturing of Hydrogels

在这项由美国国家科学基金会化学部门资助的计划拨款中，莫尔豪斯学院的胡娜·门登霍尔教授将与杜克大学国家科学基金会分子优化网络化学中心（MONET）的斯蒂芬·克雷格教授合作，建立一种伙伴关系，为未来提交“化学研究和教育伙伴关系”（PREC）计划奠定基础。这次合作将为主要是非裔美国学生提供培训机会，让他们学习三维（3D）打印和新的化学物质，以提高水凝胶的机械性能。在与MONET的合作中，PREC计划赠款将通过使用基于MONET的研究工具开发新的化学课程和举办技术研讨会来支持新的化学教育产品。这项PREC计划拨款还将建立一个更广泛的社区，由传统黑人学院和大学（HBCUs）的研究人员和少数族裔学员组成，进行大分子化学研究，并支持亚特兰大大都会地区K-12学生的教育推广。使用增材制造作为改进水凝胶三维（3D）结构的工具，在各种尺度上具有精确的结构，将在未来几年继续扩展。这项PREC计划拨款将利用MONET的专业知识来研究化学策略，以改善水凝胶的结构和功能。Thrust One的目标是利用交联化学物质开发机械坚固的水凝胶，以提高水凝胶在组织工程中的应用。Thrust Two将支持改进3D打印支架的化学性质，使用机械载体来创建坚固的3D支架。推力三将指导含有透明质酸的互穿双网复合水凝胶的合成，以产生更坚固的水凝胶网络。莫尔豪斯学院是一所教育有色人种本科生的历史悠久的黑人学院和大学（HBCU），它将与莫奈合作，通过改变原料比例和交联化学物质，扩大水凝胶增材制造方面的知识。这一伙伴关系将建立一个具有大分子化学专业知识的HBCU研究人员网络，利用MONET资源开发跨学科化学课程，并为更广泛的亚特兰大大都会社区举办K-12科学推广活动。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。

In this planning grant, funded by the Chemistry Division at NSF, Professor Juana Mendenhall of Morehouse College will work with Professor Stephen Craig at Duke University’s NSF Center for the Chemistry of Molecularly Optimized Networks (MONET) to develop a partnership that could form the basis of a future submission to the ‘Partnerships for Research and Education in Chemistry (PREC)’ program. This collaboration will provide an opportunity for training primarily African American students to learn three-dimensional (3D) printing and new chemistries to improve their mechanical properties in hydrogels. In partnership with MONET, the PREC planning grant will support new educational offerings in chemistry by developing new chemistry courses using MONET-based research tools and hosting technical workshops. This PREC planning grant will also establish a broader community of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) researchers and minority trainees conducting research in macromolecular chemistry and support educational outreach for K-12 students in the metro Atlanta area. Using Additive Manufacturing as a tool to improve hydrogel three-dimensional (3D) structures with precise architecture at various scales will continue to expand over the years. This PREC planning grant will leverage the MONET expertise to study chemical strategies to improve the structure and function of hydrogels. Thrust One aims to develop mechanically robust hydrogels using crosslinking chemistries to improve hydrogel use in tissue engineering applications. Thrust Two will support improving the chemistries of 3D printed scaffolds using mechanophores to create robust 3D scaffolds. Thrust three will guide the synthesis of interpenetrating double-network composite hydrogels containing hyaluronic acid to produce more robust hydrogel networks. Morehouse College, a Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) that educates undergraduates of color, will partner with MONET to expand knowledge in additive manufacturing of hydrogels by varying feedstock ratios and crosslinking chemistries. This partnership will establish a network of HBCU researchers with macromolecular chemistry expertise, developing cross-disciplinary chemistry courses using MONET resources and hosting K-12 science outreach activities for the broader metro Atlanta community.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.