CAREER: Cyclodextrin-Promoted Energy Transfer: From Fundamental Molecular Interactions to Complex System Performance

罗德岛大学的明迪·莱文博士研究了当分子靠近但没有物理接触时，它们之间是如何相互作用的，并研究了这种相互作用如何影响从一个分子到另一个分子的能量转移。这方面的知识非常重要，对于敏感检测分析物(例如，检测生物液体中的代谢物)或环境补救(例如，从溢油中提取水中的有毒物质)的系统的设计和优化是有用的。该项目的其他更广泛的影响包括：1)对研究生和本科生进行跨学科研究的培训；2)通过“糖业科学日”的宣传方案，教育罗德岛州的高中女生认识科学的重要性；3)通过在YouTube上分享“糖业科学日”的视频，对普通公众进行教育；4)通过带薪科学实习为高中女生提供研究机会。在化学部大分子、超分子和纳米化学计划的这一奖项的帮助下，Levine博士的研究小组研究了当供体和受体在溶液中被环糊精或环糊精衍生物紧密结合时，从各种芳香族能量供体到小分子荧光团受体的荧光能量转移。用等温量热法、二维核磁共振分析和X-射线结晶学方法测定了三元配合物中给体和受体的结合亲和力和几何构型。为了开发需要固相固定化环糊精的应用，研究人员进一步研究了环糊精表面固定化对结合亲和力和荧光能量转移的影响。这项研究还旨在建立一种基于环糊精的系统，用于从复杂的石油中提取和检测多芳烃。

Dr. Mindy Levine of the University of Rhode Island studies how molecules interact with each other when they are in close proximity, but are not physically contacted, and investigates how such interactions affect the transfer of energy from one molecule to another. This knowledge is fundamentally important and is useful for the design and optimization of systems for sensitive detection of analytes (e.g., sensing of metabolites in biological fluids) or environmental remediation (e.g., extraction of toxic substances in water from oil spills). Additional broader impacts of this project include: 1) training of graduate and undergraduate students in interdisciplinary research; 2) education of high school girls in Rhode Island about the importance of science through the outreach programs on the "Sugar Science Day"; 3) education of the general public by sharing the videos of "Sugar Science Day" at YouTube; and 4) research opportunities for high school girls through paid science internships.With this award from the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program in the Chemistry Division, Dr. Levine's research group studies fluorescence energy transfer from a variety of aromatic energy donors to small molecule fluorophore acceptors, when both the donor and acceptor are held in close proximity by cyclodextrins or cyclodextrin derivatives in solution. Isothermal calorimetry, 2-D NMR analyses, and X-ray crystallography are employed to determine the binding affinities and geometries of the donors and acceptors in the ternary complexes. To enable the development of applications requiring solid-state immobilization of cyclodextrins, the researchers further investigate the effect of surface immobilization of cyclodextrins on binding affinities and fluorescence energy transfer. This research also aims to generate a cyclodextrin-based system for the extraction and detection of polyaromatic hydrocarbons from complex oils.