1. Design of Nanoporous Polymers with New Functional Capabilities Using Monomer Self-Assembly Douglas Gin, University of Colorado at Boulder, DMR 0552399 Our group is interested in designing ordered, nanoporous polymer resins with new functional capabilities via the polymerization of self- organizing, lyotropic (i.e., surfactant) liquid crystals (LLCs). The main goal of this NSF project is to design nanoporous LLC networks that reversibly change their pore dimensions or chemical character in response to specific stimuli, for “gated” transport. A second goal is to design new functional LLC networks with more sophisticated 3-D interconnected pore architectures for better transport and access. This the past year, we completed work on a LLC monomer with a macrocycle core (1) that can be polymerized in an ordered tubular phase, and reversibly opened (ca. 30%) using light (submitted for publication). We also made modular LLC monomers (2) based on a natural product (imidazole) that form LLC phases with a 3-D interconnected water nanopore network (i.e., bicontinuous cubic phases) for enhanced molecular filtration applications (patent filed). R = CH 2 =CHCOO(CH 2 ) 11 – 1 2 (+ H 2 O) (+ diglyme) Functional macrocycles Supramolecular assemblies Photo-responsive nanostructured polymers

2. Education: Two graduate students (Cory Pecinovsky (5th year, Chem.); Kortney Klinkel (4th year, Chem.)), and one postdoctoral associate (Dr. Jason Bara, Chem.) were partially supported on this NSF grant during the past year. Cory pioneered and completed the synthesis and study of new LLC monomers with photo-gatable headgroups. Kortney explored incorporating chemical sensing groups on LLC monomers as a new functional property of interest. Dr. Bara designed the new imidazole-based LLC monomers that form bicontinuous cubic phases in water and other solvents. This past year, the P.I. taught Advanced Physical Organic Chemistry in Fall 2006 to a small Chemistry graduate class. In Spring 2007, the P.I. taught Polymer Engineering to a joint undergraduate/graduate Chem. Eng. class of 70 students. The latter class centered on polymer design and polymer structure–performance issues to better match the interests of engineering students. Outreach: Eric Karp (a Chem. Eng. undergraduate) worked with C. Pecinovsky, and published a paper in Langmuir on the photo-gating behavior of a LLC monomer as a monolayer on water. Eric is first author on that paper. In partnership with the NSF Liq. Crystal. Mater. Res. Center at CU Boulder, an REU student (Steve Spurgeon from Carnegie- Mellon) and an RET participant (Mabel McMiller from Curie High School, Chicago) are currently working in our labs this summer. They are helping with LLC polymer characterization, and developing a new high school lab demo using chromatography and grape KoolAid, respectively. Design of Nanoporous Polymers with New Functional Capabilities Using Monomer Self-Assembly Douglas Gin, University of Colorado at Boulder, DMR 0552399 Steve Spurgeon Mabel McMiller