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New synthetic self-assembling macromolecules mimic nature
March 20, 2007Blacksburg, Va. - We take "self-assembly" for granted when it is carried out by the biopolymers which are our hair, teeth, or skin. But when scientists devise new ways for molecules to self assemble into new materials, it is an important achievement.
Researchers with the Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute (MII www.mii.vt.edu) at Virginia Tech report such a development in the online issue for the Journal of the American Chemical Society, in the article, "Aggregation of Rod-Coil Block Copolymers Containing Rigid Polyampholyte Blocks in Aqueous Solution" (10.1021/ja070422+) and at the 233rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Chicago, March 25-29.
S. Richard Turner, MII director and research professor of chemistry at Virginia Tech, and Min Mao, a Ph.D. candidate in polymer chemistry, report the synthesis of a new family of charged, rod-like block copolymers. Only as long as a fraction of the diameter of human hair, the tiny rods can be either positive or negative, or can have alternating positive and negative charges along the backbone. The rods self-assemble and the aggregated structures are remarkable stable in saline solution, Turner said.
"The early results of this study suggest that these charged polymers self-assemble by like-charge interactions similar to such natural polymers as DNA," said Turner. "The stable self-assembled structures could have potential applications in drug delivery and gene delivery systems."
But more immediate, "These unique block copolymers can be instructive models in understanding the forces that lead to the dense packing of DNA when complexed with viruses and other polymers," he said.
Virginia Tech
"The early results of this study suggest that these charged polymers self-assemble by like-charge interactions similar to such natural polymers as DNA," said Turner. "The stable self-assembled structures could have potential applications in drug delivery and gene delivery systems."
But more immediate, "These unique block copolymers can be instructive models in understanding the forces that lead to the dense packing of DNA when complexed with viruses and other polymers," he said.
Virginia Tech
Copolymers Current Events and Copolymers News RSSBerkeley Researchers Find New Route to Nano Self-Assembly
If the promise of nanotechnology is to be fulfilled, nanoparticles will have to be able to make something of themselves. An important advance towards this goal has been achieved by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) who have found a simple and yet powerfully robust way to induce nanoparticles to assemble themselves into complex arrays.
Pluronic L-81 is a potential anti-diabetic drug?
Pluronic surfactants are synthetic copolymers based on ethylene oxide and propylene oxide.
Self-assembling polymer arrays improve data storage potential
A new manufacturing approach holds the potential to overcome the technological limitations currently facing the microelectronics and data-storage industries, paving the way to smaller electronic devices and higher-capacity hard drives.
New Chlorine-Tolerant, Desalination Membrane Hopes to Boost Access to Clean Water
A chemical engineering professor at The University of Texas at Austin is part of a team that has developed a chlorine-tolerant membrane that should simplify the water desalination process, increasing access to fresh water and possibly reducing greenhouse gases.
NIST team develops novel method for nanostructured polymer thin films
All researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) wanted was a simple, quick method for making thin films of block copolymers or BCPs (chemically distinct polymers linked together) in order to have decent samples for taking measurements important to the microelectronics industry.
Carnegie Mellon U. chemists advance organic semiconductor processing
Any machinist will tell you that a little grease goes a long way toward making a tool work better. And that may soon hold true for plastic electronics as well.
Virginia Tech chemists create new polymers by adding DNA base pairs
Chemists at Virginia Tech are creating new polymers by adding DNA base pairs. Attributes include improved stretchable behavior and self-healing polymer films and coatings.
Sandia experimental package of piezoelectric films to be part of NASA space station experiment
For the past three years a Sandia research team headed by Mat Celina has been investigating the performance of various piezoelectric polymer films that might one day serve as ultra-light mirrors in space telescopes.
From 2-D blueprint, material assembles into novel 3-D nanostructures
An international team of scientists affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center has coaxed a self-assembling material into forming never-before-seen, three-dimensional nanoscale structures, with potential applications ranging from catalysis and chemical separation to semiconductor manufacturing.
New polymers for applications in nanopatterning and nanolithography
The Cidetec Technological Centre continues to invest in nanotechnology development with its participation in the European NAPA (Emerging Nanopatterning Methods) project. The research institution is directing a working subgroup to develop new thermoplastic polymers for applications in nanopatterning and nanolithography.
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Block Copolymers in Nanoscience by Massimo Lazzari (Editor), Guojun Liu (Editor), Sebastién Lecommandoux (Editor) This first book to take a detailed look at one of the key focal points where nanotechnology and polymers meet provides both an introductory view for beginners as well as in-depth knowledge for specialists in the various research areas involved. It investigates all types of application for block copolymers: as tools for fabricating other nanomaterials, as structural components in hybrid materials and nanocomposites, and as functional materials. The multidisciplinary approach covers all stages from chemical synthesis and characterization, presenting applications from physics and chemistry to biology and medicine, such as micro- and nanolithography, membranes, optical labeling, drug delivery, as well as sensory and analytical uses. |
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