Folding Colloidomers into Functional 3D Architectures

非技术摘要：这项提议旨在通过折叠艺术来构建复杂的材料。就像氨基酸链折叠成蛋白质来执行特定的生物功能一样，在这里，包裹着DNA的短链液滴被设计成折叠成预先编程的新材料。这些折叠结构作为构建块，进一步组装成具有对称性的不同寻常的晶体，这些对称性尚未被探索。有人预测，在与光的波长相同的长度尺度上创造晶体结构可以产生具有独特性质的材料，例如结构颜色。这项工作可能会导致新染料的开发，甚至会创造出一种光学晶体管。一个长期的目标是将科学教育和研究活动整合到实验室内外。PI是名为BioBus的科学教育设施的创始成员之一，BioBus是一个移动实验室，为来自所有社会经济背景的学校学生提供研究级显微镜设施，每年欢迎20,000名K-12学生。技术摘要：过去十年见证了胶体材料方面的重大创新，超过了该领域的整个历史。现代设计型粒子不同于经典的胶体，具有范德华和耗竭吸引等相互作用，导致聚集或胶体晶体，具有可控的化学，通过与互补DNA链的官能化实现特定的相互作用，由补丁及其几何形状指导。这里的目标是通过折叠来修饰自组装，并诱导可编程的任意结构。乳液滴是一种光滑的设计者粒子，可以在自组装过程中重新组装。受大自然通过折叠机制创造3D材料的启发，液滴的线性胶体链将通过二次DNA相互作用折叠成可编程的2D或3D结构，以制造功能材料。乳胶折叠构成了一个非平衡系统，由温度协议驱动可逆地展开和重新折叠。实验以数值模拟和理论为指导，对相互作用矩阵和时变驱动进行了优化，以实现任意形状结构的高屈服和保真度。其目标是实现定义明确的功能，同时揭示液滴折叠背后的自组织非平衡原理。作为更广泛影响的一部分，该项目将产生面向K-12学生的教育推广的“蛋黄酱机器人”课程模块，该模块将允许学生设计和制作自己的折叠，并熟悉可编程设计的艺术和科学。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。

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:This proposal aims to build complex materials through the art of folding. Just like chains of amino acids fold into proteins to perform a specific biological function, here short chains of droplets coated with DNA are designed to fold into preprogrammed novel materials. These folded structures serve as building blocks to seed further assembly into unusual crystals with symmetries that are as yet unexplored. It has been predicted that the creation of crystalline structures on the same length scale as the wavelength of light can lead to materials with unique properties, such as structural color. This work could lead to the development of new dyes or even the creation of an optical transistor. A longstanding goal is to integrate science education and research activities within the laboratory and beyond. The PI is a founding member of a science education facility called the Biobus, which is a mobile lab that provides school students from all socioeconomic backgrounds with a research grade microscopy facility and welcomes 20,000 K-12 students every year.TECHNICAL SUMMARY:The past decade has witnessed more major innovations in colloidal materials than in the entire previous history of the field. Instead of classical colloids with interactions such as Van der Waals and depletion attraction that lead to aggregates or colloidal crystals, modern designer particles come with controllable chemistry, specific interactions enabled by functionalization with complementary DNA strands, directed by patches and their geometry. Here the goal is to modify self-assembly via folding and induce programmable arbitrary structures. Emulsion droplets serve as slippery designer particles, which can reorganize during self-assembly. Inspired by Nature’s creation of 3D materials via folding mechanisms, linear colloidomer chains of droplets will fold by secondary DNA interactions into programmable 2D or 3D architectures to make functional materials. Emulsion folding constitutes a nonequilibrium system, driven by temperature protocols to reversibly unfold and refold. The experiments are guided by numerical simulations and theory, which optimizes the interaction matrices, as well as the time-dependent drive, in order to achieve high yield and fidelity of structures with arbitrary shapes. The goal is to achieve well-defined functionalities, while revealing self-organizing non-equilibrium principles underlying droplet folding. As part of the broader impacts, this project will yield 'Mayonnaise Robots' curriculum module for educational outreach to K-12 students, which will allow students to design and build their own folds and familiarize themselves with the art and science of programmable design.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.