Teator Pilot Project Summary

The overall objective of this project is to prepare, evaluate, and optimize a new class of Fe(3+) polymeric sensors by exploiting anion relay polymerization (ARP). Preliminary data obtained by the Project Leader suggests that the rearrangement-induced propagation featured in ARP and pioneered by the Project Leader’s research group provides the ideal synthetic approach towards the desired materials. The overarching hypothesis to be tested here is that synthetic polyols prepared using ARP bearing Kojic acid functionality are effective Fe(3+) sensors with tunable thermomechanical properties. The central hypothesis will be evaluated by two specific aims: 1) Expand Anion Relay Polymerization (ARP) to prepare novel polyol scaffolds for polymeric sensors, and 2) Prepare Kojic acid-based polymeric Fe(3+) sensors and evaluate Fe(3+) affinity.

Over the course of this program, we expect to deliver significant advancements to the field of synthetic polymer sensors that will be of interest to the general scientific community at large. Due to the unique combined expertise of the Project Leader’s group, we envision this program to have a significant impact on our ability to rapidly prepare new synthetic polyol materials and the medicinally relevant ion sensing capability that can now arise from such libraries. Ultimately, we expect to develop anion relay polymerization into an enabling synthetic platform methodology that will expand our access to Fe(3+) sensors with desirable thermomechanical polymers in a straightforward approach.