Dynamic covalent self-assembly and self-sorting of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional nanohoops and cages

在化学系大分子、超分子和纳米化学(MSN)计划的支持下，俄勒冈大学的Johnson教授正在开发一种制造稳定、复杂的分子笼和大环结构的策略。他的策略利用了自组装，这是一种将简单积木的多个副本组装成精细的2维和3维结构的高效过程。这个过程看起来就像拼图(简单的积木)，它们将自己组装成一幅二维图片。约翰逊教授和他的团队试图推进这种自组装策略，以包括在不同的构建块中进行排序。他们还希望将结构锁定在适当的位置(很像使用强力胶将拼图锁定在适当的位置)。本研究中使用的构建块可以为商业聚合物(塑料)制造提供新的构建块(单体)，为有机电子产品提供新的材料，以及新的荧光材料。约翰逊教授还为他的研究生研究人员提供在私营部门实习的机会，指导初级研究人员，并支持俄勒冈大学的女性研究生科学研讨会和研讨会系列。该项目旨在实现几个目标。约翰逊博士和他的团队将使用自组装和共价捕获方法开发新的大环和笼子，并研究自我分选作为动态共价化学的工具，以分离新的不对称大环和笼子。他们还将使用这些策略来组装新的共轭笼子和大环，并开发方法来创建新的机械粘合或“螺纹”纳米环结构。这项研究的学术价值在于几个领域。其中包括通过高效的自组装和自分类方法合成复杂的有机结构，从而推动了主族超分子化学领域的发展。该团队还开发了在主客体化学、有机电子和聚合物化学中具有新特性的新组件。他们利用这些自组装方法的热力学驱动力来制备新的机械结合系统。将基础科学转化为应用是拟议研究的持续更广泛的影响。该计划扩大了博士生在行业和国家实验室的实习机会，并提供创新和技术转移方面的专业发展。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With support from the Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry (MSN) Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Johnson at the University of Oregon is developing a strategy to make stable, complex molecular cages and macrocyclic structures. His strategy takes advantage of self-assembly, an efficient process for assembling multiple copies of simple building blocks into elaborate 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional structures. This process would look like puzzle pieces (simple building blocks) that put themselves together into a 2-dimensional picture. Professor Johnson and his group seek to advance this self-assembly strategy to include sorting among different building blocks. The would also like to lock the structures in place (much like using superglue to lock a puzzle in place). The building blocks used in this study may provide new building blocks (monomers) for commercial polymer (plastics) manufacturing, novel materials for organic electronics, and new fluorescent materials. Professor Johnson also provides opportunities for his graduate student researchers to conduct internships in the private sector, mentors junior researchers, and support the Women in Graduate Sciences seminar and workshop series at University of Oregon.This project seeks to accomplish several objectives. Dr. Johnson and his team will develop new macrocycles and cages using self-assembly and covalent capture methods and study self-sorting as a tool in dynamic covalent chemistry to isolate new, unsymmetrical macrocycles and cages. They will also use these strategies to assemble new conjugated cages and macrocyles and to develop methods to create new mechanically-bonded or “threaded” nanohoop structures. The intellectual merit of the research lies in several areas. These include the synthesis of complex organic structures by efficient self-assembly and self-sorting methods that advance the field of main group supramolecular chemistry. The team also develops new assemblies featuring emerging properties in host-guest chemistry, organic electronics, and polymer chemistry. They use the thermodynamic driving force of these self-assembly methods to prepare new mechanically-bonded systems. Translating basic science to applications is an ongoing broader impact of the proposed research. This program expands internship opportunities for Ph.D. students in industry and national labs and provides professional development in innovation and technology transfer.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.