Collaborative Research: Precision Polysaccharide-Based Soft Materials

Non-technical Abstract: Polysaccharides are polymers of sugar molecules. Examples include cellulose found in cotton and wood, amylose in the starch found in bread and rice, and chitins found in the exoskeleton of insects. Today, polysaccharides are preferred renewable materials for many applications, such as packaging, healthcare, personal care, and agriculture. However, polysaccharides found in nature can vary greatly in structure and purity, making them difficult to study and use effectively. The structures and properties of synthetic polysaccharides could be precisely controlled, but existing methods for synthesizing polysaccharides are often impractical for large-scale production. The goal of this research project is to find a new way to design and make a variety of polysaccharides with precisely controlled structures from natural sugars. In addition, non-sugar units will be blended with sugar units in these polymers to match and even surpass the properties of natural polysaccharides. This project will also establish a meeting called Massachusetts-Missouri Macro-Materials Meeting (5M). This meeting will promote the communication and collaboration of polymer scientists in the states of Massachusetts and Missouri and the nearby regions, and encourage college students from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers in STEM. Technical Abstract: The overall goal of the proposed research is to develop novel polysaccharide-based soft materials. Toward this goal, novel approaches to precision polysaccharides through living cationic ring-opening polymerization (CROP) of anhydrosugars will be devised. Precision polysaccharides are synthetic polysaccharides consisting of native glycosidic linkage and well-controlled molecular weight, dispersity, side-chain groups, and chain-end groups. Living CROP of anhydrosugars will be used to generate precision polysaccharide homopolymers with various monosaccharide repeating units, side-chain groups, and molecular weights to establish a comprehensive structure-property understanding. Detailed reactivity studies in the copolymerization of the anhydrosugar monomers and non-carbohydrate monomers will lead to a novel class of statistical copolymers. The knowledge gained through these fundamental studies will enable the additive manufacturing of these materials, amplifying their molecular-scale structural features to the macroscopic level. The nano-to-macroscale understanding of the structure-property relationship will further advance the development of even more sophisticated block copolysaccharide elastomers and mixed graft copolymers with polysaccharide branches. As part of this project, a new Massachusetts-Missouri Macro-Materials Meeting (5M) will be developed to provide a platform to promote research, communication, and STEM education among researchers and college youths. 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.