Site Isolated Polymeric Metal Complexes: From Modular Synthesis to Responsive Nanoscale Assemblies

这个无机、生物无机和有机金属化学项目的奖项支持弗吉尼亚大学Cassandra L. Fraser教授制备和研究聚合金属配合物（PMCs）的研究，PMCs是具有不同数量和类型的垂坠聚合物链的金属中心，包括具有纳米级自组装能力的嵌段共聚物，可以适当地模拟蛋白质中精细调整的金属反应中心。刺激响应聚合物Fe， Pt， Ru和Ln联吡啶配合物将通过控制聚合和模块化金属模板合成来制备，以开发可调谐的分子探针，成像剂和生物和光子应用传感器。最初的目标是生物相容性的含钌聚酯由金属引发内酯与醇。这种疏水的玻璃状聚合物可以作为发光团的保护壳，最大限度地减少自猝灭和水介导的非辐射衰变途径，这对生物和光子应用都很重要。第二个嵌段可以通过羟基链末端添加到Ru -聚乳酸中，以提高水溶性或生产自组装材料。这些嵌段共聚物可以设计成形成pH敏感胶束、囊泡和水凝胶，内置荧光标记，可用于监测生物环境中的位置和降解。新型含金属离子聚合物是生物相容性和光子材料的研究目标。这项研究的跨学科合作和跨科学、工程、医学和人文学科项目的参与将被进行，以加强科学基础设施，并帮助妇女和未被充分代表的少数民族在科学领域取得进步。

This award in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports research by Professor Cassandra L. Fraser at the University of Virginia to prepare and study polymeric metal complexes (PMCs), which are metal centers with different numbers and types of pendant polymer chains including block copolymers capable of nanoscale self-assembly, to appropriately model the finely tuned metal reaction centers in proteins. Stimuli responsive polymeric Fe, Pt, Ru, and Ln bipyridine complexes will be prepared by controlled polymerization and modular metal template synthesis to develop tunable molecular probes, imaging agents, and sensors for biological and photonic applications. Initial targets are biocompatible ruthenium-containing polyesters prepared by metalloinitiation of lactones with alcohol initiators. Such hydrophobic, glassy polymers could serve as a protective shell for the luminophore, minimizing self-quenching and water-mediated non-radiative decay pathways, important for both biological and photonic applications. A second block can be added to Ru bpy-polylactic acids via the hydroxyl chain ends for water solubility or to produce materials that self-assemble. These block copolymers can be designed to form pH sensitive micelles, vesicles, and hydrogels with built-in fluorescent tags, useful for monitoring location and degradation in biological contexts. New polymers containing metal ions are targeted for synthesis and study as biocompatible and photonic materials. Interdisciplinary collaborations in this research and participation in programs crossing the sciences, engineering, medicine, and the humanities will be undertaken to enhance the scientific infrastructure and aid in the progress of women and underrepresented minorities in science.