Architectures for the macromolecule-mediated assembly of palindromic rotaxanes

描述(由申请人提供)：这项提案是关于轮烷的大分子介导的组装，以获得单个分子马达的更高阶组织。双稳回文轮烷是斯托达特实验室开发的一种机械互锁分子，能够模拟肌肉收缩的可切换和可逆分子运动。为了在人工肌肉和生物医学设备等应用中从这些分子运动中获得宏观效果，需要有组织的组装。三种类型的大分子，DNA，多肽和聚合物，将被用来组装轮烷。通过在合成后用各自的大分子功能化轮烷结构，将有可能获得这三种不同的结构。DNA和多肽-轮烷偶联物将利用生物分子自组装的已知特性来形成线性轮烷低聚物。轮烷-聚合物共轭化合物将被用来创建轮烷交联水凝胶，以便通过凝胶的尺寸变化将双稳态轮烷的分子尺度运动转化为宏观效应。这些组装体将协调轮烷的单个分子运动，并使它们能够用于制造人造肌肉材料。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal is on the macromolecule-mediated assembly of rotaxanes to access higher order organizations of individual molecular motors. Doubly bistable palindromic rotaxanes, a type of mechanically interlocked molecule developed in the Stoddart lab, are capable of switchable and reversible molecular motions that mimic muscular contraction. To achieve macroscale effects from these molecular motions for applications such as artificial muscles and biomedical devices, organized assemblies are required. Three types of macromolecules, DNA, peptides and polymers, will be used to assemble the rotaxanes. It will be possible to access these three distinct architectures by functionalizing the rotaxane structures with the respective macromolecules post-synthesis. The DNA- and peptide-rotaxane conjugates will utilize the known properties of biomolecule self-assembly to form linear rotaxane oligomers. The rotaxane-polymer conjugate will be used to create a rotaxane-crosslinked hydrogel in order to translate the molecular scale motions of the bistable rotaxane to macroscopic effects via a size change of the gel. These assemblies will coordinate the individual molecular motions of the rotaxanes and enable their use in the creation of artificial muscle materials.