Descrizione del progetto
I materiali auxetici trovano impiego nelle applicazioni biomediche
I materiali auxetici, che si contraddistinguono per la capacità di ispessirsi in seguito ad allungamento, sono unici in quanto possiedono un coefficiente di Poisson negativo, il che li dota di qualità meccaniche superiori. Sebbene esista un enorme potenziale per il loro utilizzo in dispositivi biomedici, non vi sono attualmente materiali auxetici sintetici a livello nanometrico. Finanziato dal programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, il progetto AMPLIFI concepirà una struttura polimerica caratterizzata da una resistenza meccanica superiore in grado di offrire un maggior comfort per il paziente grazie alle sue proprietà auxetiche. Il progetto concentrerà inoltre l’attenzione sulle infezioni batteriche contratte in ospedale mediante l’integrazione di agenti antimicrobici all’interno della struttura. Attraverso l’impiego della modellizzazione molecolare verranno individuati gli elementi costitutivi adeguati per l’auto-assemblaggio di polimeri antimicrobici potenzialmente auxetici, che verranno quindi sintetizzati e sottoposti a studio al fine di determinarne le relative proprietà antimicrobiche.
Obiettivo
AMPLIFI aims to develop an innovative auxetic, antimicrobial meta-material based on a supramolecular coordination polymer for the design of biomedical devices. Auxetics are unique due to their negative Poisson’s ratio, which imparts superior mechanical qualities when compared to conventional materials. They offer huge potential if used to design biomedical devices such as catheters. There is as yet no synthetic material that demonstrates auxeticity at the nano-level, even if potential auxeticity was demonstrated through simulations. Through AMPLIFI I will design a polymeric structure with superior mechanical strength that offers better patient comfort by virtue of its auxetic properties while also dealing with the challenge of bacterial infections. The project exploits the versatility of supramolecular chemistry of calixarenes or related macrocycles and self-assembly. Appropriate building blocks for a self-assembled auxetic polymer will be identified by MM simulations, and the effect of adding antimicrobial agents studied. The identified coordination polymer will be synthesized, fully characterised and subsequently tested for antimicrobial properties. I have a strong background in supramolecular chemistry which makes AMPLIFI an ideal project for me, and I will be joined by a strong supervisory team at the University of Malta consisting of an expert in auxetics, a renowned microbiologist and a structural chemist. AMPLIFI also boasts of the co-supervision of a leader in calixarene and related macrocyclic chemistry from the University of Parma. AMPLIFI builds on my expertise and enables me to work within a multidisciplinary team at the interface of theoretical chemistry, experimental organic synthesis and microbiology. In short, AMPLIFI provides me with a holistic research and training package to kick-start an independent research path and affords an unprecedented opportunity to contribute to the urgent plead for more comfortable and safer biomedical devices.
Campo scientifico
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF-EF-CAR - CAR – Career Restart panelCoordinatore
2080 MSIDA
Malta