Self assembly of nanostructured materials

尽管最近在合成纳米元件方面取得了许多进展，但将这些元件组装成确定和可控的图案仍然是该领域的主要挑战。这种控制是生产新的纳米结构材料所必需的，这些材料具有明确的和可重复的特性。由于在这种长度尺度上“自上而下”地操纵材料越来越具有挑战性，人们一直在寻找其他方法，如自组装。我们从生物系统中寻找灵感，因为使生命得以存在的复杂系统都是自我组装的。 本研究计划利用生物分子，特别是烟草花叶病毒(TMV)外壳蛋白作为自组装的支架，利用其特异性和多功能性。40亿年的进化产生了一个坚固的、化学上定义明确的蛋白质壳，我们现在将利用它来推动纳米技术的进步。我们专注于了解和控制纳米粒子的集体行为，以开发具有所需性能的分级纳米结构材料。我们的主要目标是：(I)组装具有所需光学和/或磁性的薄膜和块状纳米结构材料，如可调折射率、局部电场或磁场增强，或外部触发的光学极化；(Ii)阐明TMV外壳蛋白组装的结构与功能之间的关系，利用我们的知识合理设计实现新组装行为的蛋白质修饰，并优化蛋白质与蛋白质的相互作用，以调整结构、超分子相互作用，从而发挥功能；以及(Iii)使用我们的TMV模板构建磁性纳米结构，将局部磁控制融入化学过程。 我们准备在光学和磁性材料方面取得重大进展，正如本提案中所详述的那样。我们将能够利用光作为触发器来引起一系列的光磁效应，例如光学过滤和偏振，TMV模板波导中的光开关，以及磁场诱导的化学反应产物之间的开关。在这些项目中工作的HQP将接受组装和表征分级纳米结构材料的尖端技术方面的培训。拟议的工作将转化为广泛的应用，特别是在光学材料方面，使化学和生物技术方面的颠覆性创新成为可能。这些领域的进展将对加拿大的社会和经济福祉产生积极影响。

Although there have been many recent advances in synthesizing nanosized components, the assembly of these components into deterministic and controllable patterns remains a major challenge in the field. Such control is required to produce new nanostructured materials that have well-defined and reproducible properties. Because "top-down" manipulation of materials on this length scale is increasingly challenging, alternate methods such as self-assembly have been sought. We look to biological systems for inspiration, as the complex systems that enable life are all self-assembled. This research program focuses on using biomolecules, specifically Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) coat proteins as scaffolds for self-assembly, taking advantage of their specificity and versatility. Four billion years of evolution produced a robust and chemically well-defined protein shell, which we will now use for advances in nanotechnology. We focus on understanding and controlling the collective behaviors of nanoparticles in order to develop hierarchical nanostructured materials with desired properties. Our main objectives are: (i) To assemble thin films and bulk nanostructured materials with desired optical and/or magnetic properties such as tunable index of refraction, localized electric or magnetic field enhancement, or externally triggered optical polarization; (ii) To elucidate structure-function relationships for TMV coat protein assembly, use our knowledge to rationally design protein modifications that achieve new assembly behaviors, and refine protein-protein interactions to tune structure, supramolecular interaction, and therefore function; and (iii) To use our TMV template to build magnetic nanoring structures to incorporate localized magnetic control into chemical processes. We are poised to make major advances in optical and magnetic materials, as detailed in this proposal. We will be able to elicit a range of optomagnetic effects using light as a trigger, such as optical filtering and polarization, optical switching in TMV-templated waveguides, and magnetic field induced switching between chemical reaction products. HQP working on these projects will be trained in cutting edge techniques for assembling and characterizing hierarchical nanostructured materials. The work proposed will translate to a wide range of applications, particularly in optical materials, enabling disruptive innovations in chemistry and biotechnology. Progress in these areas will positively impact Canada's social and economic wellbeing.