Folding of synthetic random coil side-chain functionalized copolymers

美国国家科学基金会化学部的有机和大分子化学项目支持纽约大学的Marcus Weck教授，他将建立无规卷曲聚合物中侧链诱导折叠过程的基本设计原则。特别是，两类相互作用将被探索为诱导元素，供体-受体相互作用和手性诱导。拟议的研究还将创建具有明确定义的三维结构的聚合物材料。基于开环易位聚合（ROMP）的侧链功能化均聚物和共聚物的合理设计是所提出的研究的基础。下一代复杂、多样和高度功能化的聚合物将基于自组装的3D结构，并将用于各种应用，包括光电、生物、能源和计算机应用。然而，基本的设计原则，将允许编程设计，合成和优化这些材料是不可用的。拟议的工作将有助于制定此类设计原则。此外，将开发的设计原则不仅与所提出的侧链聚合物有关，而且还可以潜在地转化为生物聚合物、主链聚合物和低聚物。最后，拟议研究的结果也将允许在聚合物科学中开发新的合成方法。Weck教授的研究可能对材料科学产生重大影响，因为它将提供新的聚合物来解决从折叠到聚集到催化剂设计的一些关键问题。这些可以导致所得聚合物在生物、电光学、计算机和能源工业中的可能用途。拟议的研究将被用作教育和推广工具，以扩大代表性不足的群体的参与，在他的机构启动跨学科的聚合物课程，并提供研讨会，介绍聚合物化学的本科院校的教师。讲习班介绍了如何将聚合物科学纳入化学课程的基本概念和实验。最后，PI在聚合物相关问题上与工业界进行了广泛的合作，将知识转移到私营部门，并将他的科学推向市场。

The Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program in the Chemistry Division at the National Science Foundation supports Professor Marcus Weck of New York University who will establish basic design principles for side-chain induced folding processes in random coil polymers. In particular, two classes of interactions will be explored as inducing elements, donor-acceptor interactions and chiral induction. The proposed research will also create polymeric materials with well-defined three-dimensional architectures. Rationally designed side-chain functionalized homo- and co-polymers based on ring-opening metathesis polymerizations (ROMP) are the basis for the proposed study. The next generation of complex, diverse, and highly functionalized polymers will be based on self-assembled 3D architectures and will be useful for a variety of applications including electro-optical, biological, energy, and computer applications. However, basic design principles that would allow for the programmed design, synthesis, and optimization of such materials are not available. The proposed work would allow for the development of such design principles. Furthermore, the design principles that will be developed are not only relevant to the proposed side-chain polymers but can also be translated potentially to biopolymers, main-chain polymers and oligomers. Finally, the outcome of the proposed studies will also allow for the development of new synthetic methodologies in polymer science.The research by Professor Weck could have a significant impact on materials science as it will provide novel polymers to address some key questions from folding, to aggregation, to catalyst design. These can lead to possible uses of the resulting polymers in biological, electro-optical, computer and energy industries. The proposed research will be used as an education and outreach tool to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups, to initiate an interdisciplinary polymer curriculum at his institution, and to offer workshops to introduce polymer chemistry to faculty at undergraduate institutions. The workshops present basic concepts and experiments on how to incorporate polymer science into the chemistry curricula. Finally, the PI has extensive collaborations with industry on polymer-related problems, transferring knowledge to the private sector, and bringing his science to the marketplace.