Self assembly of nanostructured materials

尽管最近在合成纳米级组件方面取得了许多进展，但将这些组件组装成确定和可控的模式仍然是该领域的主要挑战。这种控制是生产具有明确定义和可重复性能的新型纳米结构材料所必需的。由于在这种长度尺度上“自上而下”地操作材料越来越具有挑战性，因此人们一直在寻求自组装等替代方法。我们从生物系统中寻找灵感，因为使生命得以存在的复杂系统都是自组装的。本研究主要利用烟草花叶病毒（TMV）外壳蛋白的特异性和多功能性，利用生物分子作为自组装的支架。40亿年的进化产生了一个坚固的、化学性质明确的蛋白质外壳，我们现在将把它用于纳米技术的进步。我们专注于理解和控制纳米粒子的集体行为，以开发具有理想性能的分层纳米结构材料。我们的主要目标是：(i)组装具有所需光学和/或磁性能的薄膜和块状纳米结构材料，如可调折射率，局部电场或磁场增强，或外部触发的光偏振；（ii）阐明TMV外壳蛋白组装的结构-功能关系，利用我们的知识合理设计蛋白质修饰以实现新的组装行为，并细化蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用以调整结构，超分子相互作用，从而调整功能；（iii）使用我们的TMV模板构建磁性纳米环结构，将局部磁控制纳入化学过程。我们准备在光学和磁性材料方面取得重大进展，如本提案所述。我们将能够使用光作为触发器引发一系列光磁效应，例如光滤波和偏振，tmv模板波导中的光开关，以及化学反应产物之间的磁场诱导开关。从事这些项目的HQP将接受装配和表征分层纳米结构材料的尖端技术的培训。提出的工作将转化为广泛的应用，特别是在光学材料方面，使化学和生物技术的颠覆性创新成为可能。这些领域的进步将对加拿大的社会和经济福祉产生积极影响。

Although there have been many recent advances in synthesizing nanosized components, the assembly of these components into deterministic and controllable patterns remains a major challenge in the field. Such control is required to produce new nanostructured materials that have well-defined and reproducible properties. Because "top-down" manipulation of materials on this length scale is increasingly challenging, alternate methods such as self-assembly have been sought. We look to biological systems for inspiration, as the complex systems that enable life are all self-assembled. This research program focuses on using biomolecules, specifically Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) coat proteins as scaffolds for self-assembly, taking advantage of their specificity and versatility. Four billion years of evolution produced a robust and chemically well-defined protein shell, which we will now use for advances in nanotechnology. We focus on understanding and controlling the collective behaviors of nanoparticles in order to develop hierarchical nanostructured materials with desired properties. Our main objectives are: (i) To assemble thin films and bulk nanostructured materials with desired optical and/or magnetic properties such as tunable index of refraction, localized electric or magnetic field enhancement, or externally triggered optical polarization; (ii) To elucidate structure-function relationships for TMV coat protein assembly, use our knowledge to rationally design protein modifications that achieve new assembly behaviors, and refine protein-protein interactions to tune structure, supramolecular interaction, and therefore function; and (iii) To use our TMV template to build magnetic nanoring structures to incorporate localized magnetic control into chemical processes. We are poised to make major advances in optical and magnetic materials, as detailed in this proposal. We will be able to elicit a range of optomagnetic effects using light as a trigger, such as optical filtering and polarization, optical switching in TMV-templated waveguides, and magnetic field induced switching between chemical reaction products. HQP working on these projects will be trained in cutting edge techniques for assembling and characterizing hierarchical nanostructured materials. The work proposed will translate to a wide range of applications, particularly in optical materials, enabling disruptive innovations in chemistry and biotechnology. Progress in these areas will positively impact Canada's social and economic wellbeing.