In this project, funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Chad A. Mirkin of Northwestern University will employ the Weak-Link Approach (WLA) to rationally design and synthesize chemically sophisticated, highly functional supramolecular architectures with important capabilities in the context of molecular recognition, catalysis, and amplified detection. The cooperative chemical properties that arise from such motifs lead to allosteric capabilities, where their activity can be regulated through small-molecule or ion-binding events at remote metal sites. These features make the WLA an ideal platform for synthesizing abiotic structures capable of mimicking and sometimes exceeding the structural and functional sophistication of biological systems. Specifically, the proposed project will explore: 1) the development of Pt(II) WLA chemistry, 2) the expansion of the scope of functionalities that can be incorporated into WLA complexes, and 3) the development of more diverse methods for inducing WLA complex conformation change. Furthering the understanding of the WLA not only will lead to the discovery of novel reactions, but also structures with unique properties that cannot be synthesized via any other methodology.
This research program will impact the training and education of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. These young scientists will gain important laboratory skills in supramolecular inorganic coordination chemistry, homogeneous catalysis, spectroscopy, and analytical chemistry. Advances will be disseminated to the scientific community through publication in high-impact journals and presentations at national and international scientific conferences, and to the general public via the popular press and through participation in outreach events like the NSF Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISEnet) and NanoDays. Undergraduate students and high-school teachers will participate in the research activities of this program through summer REU and RET programs run through Northwestern University.
