NER: Self-Assembly of Nanostructures in Functionalized, Hierarchical Zeolite Structures

该项目的智力优势集中在中空沸石结构的功能化以及随后的纳米结构(DNA、金纳米棒)在中空沸石结构中的自组装。然后，这些材料将被开发用于基因传递、光子学、催化和光学传感等领域。通常的方法是制备分子筛，并用可切割的二硫键隔开的官能胺基团对沸石进行表面衍生化。然后，功能化的纳米孔沸石管将被用作评估基因传递应用和利用特定受体介导的生物相互作用自组装的新型分子筛-金属杂化构建块的平台。这个高度跨学科的项目将产生数据，确定功能化的纳米孔沸石在生物应用中的局限性和潜力。该项目的三个主要目标是：1)合成带有硫醇和胺基的中空沸石结构并选择性地使其功能化；2)展示功能化沸石管内部金属纳米棒(金)的自组装；3)制备基于沸石结构中质粒DNA自组装的基因输送系统。该项目的更广泛影响包括：1)吸引来自不同背景的学生参与涉及化学工程、化学、材料科学和药剂学的交叉研究项目，2)通过编写本科化学课程和跨学科研究生课程的教材，整合本科和研究生课程的研究和教育；3)从代表性不足的群体中招募研究生和本科生参与研究项目。

The intellectual merit of this project focuses on the functionalization of hollow zeolite structures and the subsequent self-assembly of nanostructures (DNA, gold nanorods) in the hollow zeolite structures. These materials will then be developed for applications in areas such as gene delivery, photonics, catalysis, and optical sensing. The general approach is to prepare and surface derivatize the zeolites with a functional amine group spaced by a cleavable disulfide linkage. The functionalized, nanoporous zeolite tubes will then be utilized as a platform for evaluating gene delivery applications and novel hybrid zeolite-metal building blocks that self-assemble using specific receptor-mediated biological interactions. This highly interdisciplinary project will generate data that establishes the limitations and potential of functionalized, nanoporous zeolites in biological applications. The three main objectives are to: 1) synthesize and selectively functionalize hollow zeolite structures with thiol and amine groups 2) demonstrate the self-assembly of metal nanorods (gold) in the interior of the functionalized zeolite tubes and 3) prepare a gene delivery system based on the self-assembly of plasmid DNA in zeolite structures.The broader impacts of the project include: 1) engaging students from diverse backgrounds in a cross-cutting research program involving chemical engineering, chemistry, materials science, and pharmaceutics, 2) integrating research and education in undergraduate and graduate courses through the development of education materials for undergraduate chemistry courses and interdisciplinary graduate courses and 3) recruiting graduate and undergraduate students from underrepresented groups to participate in the research project.