Polypeptides, the structural components of proteins, is an important class of biopolymers. Because of their structural and functional diversity, both naturally occurring and synthetic polypeptides are used in a wide range of applications. Professor Jianjun Cheng's research group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign develops novel strategies to synthesize polypeptides and investigates the factors that accelerate the rate of polymerization. This project provides research training to students, including members of underrepresented groups, preparing a skilled workforce for the polymer industry. Research is integrated into various educational and outreach endeavors, including the Discover Engineering Summer Camp Program and Engineering Open-House Program at the University of Illinois, for undergraduates and K-12 students.
Prof. Cheng's research group aims to develop the chain growth polymerization of N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) monomers as an efficient approach to synthesize polypeptides with high conversion, high degree of polymerization, and low polydispersity. To understand the mechanism of this chemistry and the factors that control the polymerization kinetics, the research group studies the dependence of polymerization rate on monomer structures, helical conformation, additives, and solvent. The team further investigates the effects of the architecture of the initiator on the rate of NCA polymerization. The roles of architecture provided by dendrimers, micelles, and non-covalent perylene-based pi-stacks are explored.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
