Using Light to Control Molecules and Materials

拟议的研究计划介绍了如何用光可逆地调制“设计者”分子，以用作环境毒素、基因和其他重要分析物的检测器、监测化学反应进展的探针、药物输送载体和改变生物医学设备结构完整性的试剂。我们的目标是控制小分子的结构，影响它们的行为和与环境的相互作用。这将通过使用“分子开关”来实现--分子通过以可预测的方式可逆地改变其结构来对不同颜色的光作出反应。传统上，分子光开关的重点一直是它们如何吸收光，如何发射光，以及如何弯曲光以推动光电子材料和器件的发展。分子光开关的一个较不发达的应用是，它们如何方便和可视地提供有关感兴趣分析物的存在和数量的信息，它们如何在化学反应完成时通知用户，以及它们如何在用户需要的时候触发材料的分解。通过利用相对简单的分子，当暴露在两种不同颜色的光下时可以发生可逆反应，并在两种独特的形状之间切换，我们可以获得许多独特的特性，用于广泛的应用。由于分子的形状决定了它如何与其他分子反应或相互作用，在这个研究计划中开发的系统将被用来提供关于它们周围环境变化的信息，并改变环境本身。这个项目中的许多项目都有一个共同的主题--在分子结构可以在光的存在下改变其结构之前，必须首先发生一个自发的过程。我们将这种光化学称为“化学门”光化学，并展示了它可以用来解决现实世界问题的许多方法，比如揭示了一种有毒化合物的存在，这种化合物从我们的轮胎中泄漏出来，最近被证明会污染水道并杀死当地的鱼类。另一个例子是以寡核苷酸(DNA和RNA)为目标，可以方便地表明特定基因的存在。类似的分子骨架也可以用来跟踪化学反应距离完成的距离，这将简化常规合成过程中所需的分析。最后，光将被用来从非活性形式中释放出高活性的药理物质，并从它们的“输送工具”中释放化合物。该计划在现实世界中的广泛应用将使加拿大的研究处于前沿，以解决当今社会面临的一些最紧迫的健康和环境挑战，同时培养下一代创新者和企业家。

The proposed research program presents how `designer' molecules can be reversibly modulated with light to be used as detectors for environmental toxins, genes, and other important analytes, probes to monitor the progress of chemical reactions, drug-delivery vehicles, and agents to modify the structural integrity of biomedical devices. Our goal is to control the structure of small molecules, influencing how they behave and interact with their environment. This will be achieved by utilizing `molecular switches' - molecules that respond to different colours of light by reversibly changing their structures in a predictable manner. Traditionally, the emphasis in molecular photoswitching has been on how they absorb light, how they emit light, and how they bend light to advance optoelectronic materials and devices. A much less developed application for molecular photoswitches is how they can conveniently and visually provide information about the presence and the amount of an analyte of interest, how they can inform the user when chemical reactions are complete, and how they can trigger the breakdown of materials whenever the user desires. By utilizing a relatively simple molecule that can undergo a reversible reaction when exposed to two different colours of light and toggle between two unique shapes, we can access many unique properties for a wide range of applications. Since the shape of a molecule dictates how it reacts or interacts with others, the systems developed in this research program will be used to provide information about changes in the environment around them and to change the environment itself. Many of the projects in this program have a common theme - a spontaneous process must first occur before the molecular architecture can change its structure in the presence of light. We call this `chemically-gated' photochemistry and show many ways it can be applied to solve real-world problems such as revealing the presence of a toxic compound that leaks out of our tires, which has recently been shown to pollute waterways and kill resident fish. Another example targets oligonucleotides (DNA and RNA) with the potential to conveniently indicate the presence of specific genes. Similar molecular backbones can also be used to track how close chemical reactions are from being complete, which would simplify the analysis needed in routine synthetic processes. Finally, light will be used to release highly reactive pharmacological species from inactive forms `on-command', and release compounds from their 'delivery vehicles'. The broad real-world applications of this program will place Canadian research at the forefront for solving some of the most pressing health and environmental challenges facing today's society, while training the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs.