Research in Supramolecular Dynamics

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Research video - Google Scholar - orcid.org/0000-0001-9996-0076 - Episode 30 BEaTS Research Radio - Interview with Dr. Cornelia Bohne

Understanding how the moving parts of complex chemical systems work

Supramolecular systems are inherently reversible and are constituted from molecular building blocks. The system’s complexity is increased by adding different building blocks to a system. A supramolecular system can have species with molecules arranged with defined ratios (stoichiometries), such as host–guest complexes, or can be a self-assembly of a large number of components, such as micelles, liposomes or membranes. These two types of supramolecular systems are integral to living systems and in multifunctional materials. Each of our research areas cover one type of supramolecular system.

Supramolecular dynamics of cucurbit[n]uril-guest systems: Cucurbit[n]urils (CB[n]s) are macrocyclic hosts. CB[n]s can have different sizes and bind well to guests with hydrophobic moieties and positive charges, as well as with small molecules, like metal cations. We are using the ability of CB[n]s to competitively bind different guests to design CB[n]-guest systems with increased complexity. These studies will show how we can alter and use transient formation of CB[n]-guest complexes to build supramolecular systems that can be maintained out of equilibrium. This fundamental research will create the conceptual framework required to understand complexity, and this framework will be used to achieve and control emerging properties as those seen in biology.

Dynamics within supramolecular hydrogels: Supramolecular hydrogels are formed from small gelator molecules or by the physical interactions of polymers. Hydrogels have a wide range of applications in industry, such as household items, cosmetics, and in drug delivery. We study how the mobility of molecules within the gel and in and out of the gel is affected by the gels structure. For these studies, we use the methodology we have developed for our fundamental studies of the dynamics of host–guest systems. The correlation of the molecular dynamics over different length scales with the gel’s structures, from nanometers to centimetres, will provide information on how to design the gel when its function requires the inclusion or release of molecules. Application of this knowledge will impact the development of technologies in varied fields, such as drug delivery systems and oil recovery.

Methods used: The focus of our research is on kinetic studies leading to mechanistic insights. Our laboratories (VicPicK)[add link] are internationally recognized for the ability to perform real-time kinetic measurements in complex solution or solid systems over time scales of nanosecond to seconds. Kinetic studies are complemented with the thermodynamic characterization of the various species present in each system by using spectroscopic techniques, such as fluorescence. Structural properties are characterized using fluorescence microscopy, while viscoelastic mechanical properties are studied using rheology.

We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.