Multifunctional Hybrid Nanomaterials: Development to Biomedical Applications

在聚合物和树枝状聚合物化学的总主题下，该研究计划的目标由三个项目组成，是创造新的大分子类别，这些大分子在纳米医学中的应用中会聚。基础科学研究是开发真实的应用材料的基础。通过这项研究计划，我们的短期目标是合理设计新结构并研究其独特的性能，并在长期内将其用作构建模块，以制造用于生物医学应用的新型纳米材料。第一个项目旨在创建一类新的定义明确的金属聚合物。虽然各种各样的金属聚合物已被报道，那些基于N-杂环卡宾（NHC）是非常罕见的。这与NHC已被证明与许多金属离子形成强键的事实形成鲜明对比。在我们的方法中，我们将合成各种金属聚合物的基础上NHC金属配合物与金属，如Au和Ag。然后，我们将使用这些新材料作为合成纳米颗粒的新型前体，这些纳米颗粒具有可控的尺寸和组成，因此，可以微调光电性能，用于干法输送应用。在第二个项目中，我们将介绍结晶线性树枝状嵌段共聚物（BCP）作为纳米材料工程的新自组装构建块。虽然在一定程度上报道了非晶线性树枝状BCP的合成和自组装，但没有具有结晶片段的线性树枝状BCP的实例。使用这种新开发的BCP，我们将形成具有长血液循环时间的纳米材料，同时能够有效地与生物系统相互作用。第三个项目的重点将是基于高度氟化树枝状聚合物的纳米材料的设计和合成。与氟化线性聚合物不同，文献中只有少数报道展示氟化树枝状聚合物。使用我们的新型氟化树枝状聚合物，它们的深入自组装研究可以在纳米医学领域开辟令人兴奋的机会。除了它们作为药物递送载体的用途外，我们还将研究这些材料作为19 F磁共振成像中的固有活性纳米结构。 拟议的研究计划是在功能聚合物，树枝状大分子和纳米材料领域的前沿。这一创新计划的成果将为国内和国际上快速发展的材料化学领域做出重大贡献。通过该计划，高素质的人员将接受有机，无机和材料合成和表征技术的广泛培训，并将接触到与生物和计算化学家的广泛合作机会，所有这些都是为他们未来的职业发展必要技能的关键。

Under the general theme of polymer and dendrimer chemistry, the objective of this research program, consisting of three projects, is to create new classes of macromolecules that converge in their use in nanomedicine. Research in fundamental science is the basis for development of materials for real world applications. Through this research program, our short-term goal is to rationally design new structures and study their unique resulting properties, and, in the long-term, use them as building blocks to fabricate novel nanomaterials for biomedical applications. The first project aims to create a new class of well-defined metallopolymers. Although a wide variety of metallopolymers have been reported, those based on N-heterocyclic crabenes (NHCs) are very rare. This is in sharp contrast with the fact that NHCs have been shown to form strong bonds to many metal ions. In our approach, we will synthesize a variety of metallopolymers based on NHCmetal complexes with metals such as Au and Ag. We will then use these new materials as novel precursors for the synthesis of nanoparticles with controlled dimensions and compositions and, hence, fine-tuned optoelectronic properties for dry delivery applications.In the second project, we will introduce crystalline linear-dendritic block copolymers (BCPs) as new self-assembling building blocks for nanomaterial engineering. Although the synthesis and self-assembly of amorphous linear-dendritic BCPs is reported to some extent, there are no examples of linear-dendritic BCPs with crystalline segments. Using this newly-developed class of BCPs, we will form nanomaterials that have long blood circulation times while, at the same time, are capable of effectively interacting with biological systems. The focus of the third project will be the design and synthesis of nanomaterials based on highly-fluorinated dendrimers. Unlike fluorinated linear polymers, there are only handful reports showcasing fluorinated dendrimers in the literature. Using our new fluorinated dendrimers, their in-depth self-assembly study can open exciting opportunities in nanomedicine. Besides their use as drug delivery vehicles, we will also investigate these materials as inherently-active nanostrutures in 19F magnetic resonance imaging. The proposed research program is at the cutting edge of functional polymer-, dendrimer-, and nanomaterials fields. Outcomes of this innovative program will make high-impact contributions to the highly-growing field of materials chemistry, nationally and internationally. Through this program, highly qualified personnel will receive extensive training in organic, inorganic, and materials synthesis and characterization techniques, and will be exposed to extensive collaboration opportunities with bio- and computational chemists, all of which will be essential to develop necessary skillset for their future careers.