University of Connecticut |
Polymer Program SeminarChemically Rich Macromolecules: Biomimetic Antimicrobials and Metal Containing Polymers Friday, September 30, 2005 11:00 am , IMS Room 20 Research in our group uses the tools of synthetic organic chemistry to build new macromolecules and materials. Our primary research aim is to create new materials using a combination of principles, many of which are inspired by biology. Primarily, we target supramolecular chemistry to organize molecules into novel materials. In addition, the design of simple molecules that mimic the complex structures and functions of biology is at the heart of our work. In this presentation, we will illustrate some of these principles including facially amphiphilic polymers based on conformationally flexible backbones that are antimicrobial. These synthetic polymers mimic the essential physiochemical properties of natural host defense peptides, like Magainin and Protegrin. Our work on metal-ligand copolymers prepared by controlled radical polymerization and the properties which are produced upon metal ion addition will be discussed. These materials are shown to self-assembly into hierarchically ordered structures; addition of lanthanide ions generates novel colored emission including ‘true’ white light.
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