Bioinspired Supramolecular Enzymatic Systems.

摘要

Through the use of enzymes and related structures, Nature takes a complex, integrated approach to regulating cellular activities such as signal cascades, molecular transport, and catalysis. These critical functions are performed using information storage and retrieval processes that make use of molecular recognition. The ability to learn from Nature and mimic its processes for abiotic purposes holds great potential for controlling chemical processes and creating a wide variety of functional materials and devices that can impact military and civilian needs. Materials and devices of interest include chemical and biological detection systems, catalytic systems for environmental remediation, and materials for power applications. They will significantly impact efforts to monitor and deter the use of biological and chemical weapons, as well as hazardous explosive devices. They also will lead to more efficient, portable, and inexpensive ways of operating energy-consuming devices important to the military. Our MURI efforts aim to understand and develop a supramolecular toolbox that enables researchers to create abiotic enzymatic systems. Synthetic organic and inorganic chemistries are employed in parallel with macromolecular modeling in order to create molecular machines based on mechanostereochemical bonds, porous hybrid materials, and stimuli-responsive metal-orqanic supramolecular structures. These structures exhibit a full ranqe of bio-inspired functions.