Inter-American Materials Collaboration: Mexico/United States

这个美洲材料合作项目汇集了由美国斯坦福大学的Curtis Frank和IBM-Almaden的聚合物界面和大分子组装中心（CPIMA）的Craig Hawker领导的团队，以及墨西哥蒂华纳理工学院（ITT）的A. Licea-Claverie和下加利福尼亚州自治大学（Baja）的J. Cornejo-Bravo领导的团队。该项目旨在开发新的合成方法和表征技术，用于制备和研究定义良好的智能材料。活性自由基聚合技术被开发为合成具有可控结构和结构的聚合物的平台，这些结构和结构响应两种不同的刺激：温度和ph。结构特征，例如通过嵌段共聚物形成的响应单元的分离，以及链结构的性质（线性，接枝，星形和网络）进行了详细的探索。此外，还研究了线性、接枝和星形结构在温度或ph驱动下在溶液中形成的可逆超分子结构。一个更基本的挑战是理解这些刺激反应材料的结构、性质和功能之间的关系。基于这种理解，药物和其他小分子从凝胶、星形、聚合物-药物复合物或超分子结构（如聚合物胶束）的控制释放被检查。一个充满活力和跨学科的教学和推广计划是这个项目的一个重要特征，并显著扩展了建立在这些科学基础上的合作关系。CPIMA在聚合物化学和材料研究方面的教育和教学专业知识被转移到ITT和BAJA，而本科生、研究生和博士后学者在这三个机构的研究建立了一个独特的合作环境。此外，本科生和毕业生接触到国际学术和工业学术环境的结合提供了一个令人振奋的研究经验。该奖项由材料研究部、国际科学与工程办公室以及数学和物理科学理事会的多学科活动办公室提供支持。

This Inter-American Materials Collaboration brings together groups led by Curtis Frank, Stanford University, and Craig Hawker, IBM-Almaden, at the Center for Polymer Interfaces and Macromolecular Assemblies (CPIMA) in the US, and A. Licea-Claverie, Instituto Tecnologico de Tijuana (ITT), and J. Cornejo-Bravo, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California (BAJA), in Mexico. The project aims to develop new synthetic approaches and characterization techniques for the preparation and study of well-defined smart materials. Living free radical polymerization techniques are developed as a platform for the synthesis of polymers with controlled structure and architecture that respond to two different stimuli: temperature and pH. Structural features, such as the separation of the responsive units via the formation of block copolymers, and the nature of the chain architectures (linear, grafted, stars, and networks) are explored in detail. Furthermore, the reversible temperature- or pH-driven formation of supramolecular structures in solution from the linear, grafted, and star architectures are studied. A more fundamental challenge is to understand the relationships among structure, property, and function for these stimuli-responsive materials. Based on this understanding, the controlled release of drugs and other small molecules from gels, stars, polymer-drug complexes, or supramolecular structures (e.g. polymeric micelles) is examined. A vigorous and interdisciplinary teaching and outreach program is a critical feature of this project and significantly extends the collaborative relationships built on these scientific foundations. Educational and teaching expertise in polymer chemistry and materials research that has been developed in CPIMA is transferred to both ITT and BAJA, while the exposure of undergraduates, graduates, and post-doctoral scholars to research at all three institutions establishes a unique collaborative environment. In addition, exposure of undergraduates and graduates to a combined international academic-academic and industrial-academic setting provides an invigorating research experience. This award is supported by the Division of Materials Research, the Office of International Science and Engineering, and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences.