Green Chemistry Approach in Developing Polymeric Biomaterials

开发聚合生物材料的绿色化学方法

• 批准号: RGPIN-2019-05469
• 负责人: Zhu, Julian
• 金额: $ 4.66万
• 依托单位: Université de Montréal
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=738314
• 关键词: Green; Chemistry; Approach; Developing; Polymeric

Given the importance and growing concerns of environmental protection and energy consumption, biotechnology holds the key for chemical industry and sustainable development in the future. We use green chemistry approaches to make biocompatible materials to solve related problems. (1) New biomaterials. Biocompatibility is important for polymers used for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications in contact with the human body. To address this issue, we use natural compounds (bile acids, carbohydrates, amino acids) from biological sources in the design and synthesis of a variety of polymers, including degradable polymers, stimuli-responsive materials, self-healing hydrogels. The polymers will be characterized and tested for their intended applications including soft and hard tissue engineering, drug delivery and cell culture. Bio-functional groups will be introduced in the polymers for molecular and cellular recognition in targeted delivery of drugs and for the design and tests of biosensors. The biocompatibility and toxicity of the materials will be studied. (2) Green chemistry methods will be developed for the synthesis and modification of polymers. Enzymes will be used in the transformation of the biomolecules already attached on a polymer chain to produce functional groups with new properties. For example, glucose oxidase will be tested to convert the carbohydrate side groups attached on our sugar-containing polymers into acid groups. Such a copolymer may be pH-responsive, and the charged carboxylic group will also facilitate biomineralization needed for bone regeneration. Our preliminary results are encouraging, and we will study the efficiency of enzymes in the transformation of the different substrates on the polymers. Enzymes such as nitrile hydratase, nitrilase and amidase will be used in the transformation of the nitrile groups into amide and then into acid groups, thereby simplifying the synthetic procedure of copolymers and avoiding the use of metal catalysts and stringent reaction conditions. The thermoresponsiveness and solution properties of these polymers will be studied to explore their applications as flocculants and rheology-modifiers. (3) Molecular hydrogelation. Bile acid derivatives are found to form molecular hydrogels through supramolecular assembly. We have demonstrated that a marginal solubility achieved through molecular interactions is a condition for the gelation of small molecules. We will try to elucidate the principles guiding the hydrogelation process. The rheological and mechanical properties of the gels will be studied and their use in cell culture and soft-tissue engineering will be tested. In summary, the proposed research work is of both fundamental and practical importance and will lead to innovative technology and new functional materials for biomedical and industrial applications. It is multi-disciplinary in nature and will provide an ideal training environment for young highly qualified personnel.

鉴于环境保护和能源消耗的重要性和日益受到的关注，生物技术是未来化学工业和可持续发展的关键。我们使用绿色化学方法来制造生物兼容材料来解决相关问题。(1)生物新材料。生物相容性对于用于生物医学和制药应用的与人体接触的聚合物来说是重要的。为了解决这个问题，我们使用来自生物来源的天然化合物(胆汁酸、碳水化合物、氨基酸)来设计和合成各种聚合物，包括可降解聚合物、刺激响应材料、自我修复水凝胶。这些聚合物将被表征并测试其预期的应用，包括软硬组织工程、药物输送和细胞培养。生物官能团将被引入聚合物中，用于靶向给药中的分子和细胞识别，以及生物传感器的设计和测试。将对材料的生物相容性和毒性进行研究。(2)发展绿色化学方法用于聚合物的合成和改性。酶将用于转化已附着在聚合物链上的生物分子，以产生具有新性质的官能团。例如，葡萄糖氧化酶将被测试以将附着在我们含糖聚合物上的碳水化合物侧基转化为酸性基团。这种共聚物可能是pH敏感的，带电的羧基也将促进骨再生所需的生物矿化。我们的初步结果令人鼓舞，我们将研究酶在聚合物上不同底物转化的效率。在将腈基团转化为酰胺然后再转化为酸性基团的过程中，将使用丁腈水合酶、丁腈酶和酰胺酶等酶，从而简化共聚物的合成步骤，避免使用金属催化剂和严格的反应条件。这些聚合物的热响应性和溶液性质将被研究，以探索它们作为絮凝剂和流变性改进剂的应用。(3)分子水凝胶。胆汁酸衍生物通过超分子组装形成分子水凝胶。我们已经证明，通过分子相互作用获得的边际溶解度是小分子凝胶化的条件。我们将试图阐明指导水凝胶过程的原理。将研究凝胶的流变性和力学性能，并测试它们在细胞培养和软组织工程中的应用。总之，拟议的研究工作具有基础性和实际意义，将为生物医学和工业应用带来创新技术和新的功能材料。它的性质是多学科的，将为年轻的高素质人才提供理想的培训环境。