Designing Reactive Supramolecular Nanostructures

Abstract: Small molecule self-assembly is an established route for producing high surface-area nanostructures with readily customizable chemistries and precise molecular organization. However, these structures are fragile, exhibiting molecular exchange, migration, and rearrangement (among other dynamic instabilities), and ultimately disassociate upon drying. These dynamic instabilities can be controlled, but first the internal conformational dynamics must be understood. In this seminar, I will discuss experimental strategies used and developed in our group to measure dynamics within molecular self-assemblies with sub-nanometer resolution. Then I will discuss a new self-assembly platform designed in my group, the aramid amphiphile (AA), that forms nanoribbons with suppressed internal dynamics. I will describe how we exploit their extraordinary stability to generate reactive nanostructures for new applications.

Bio: Prof. Ortony received her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota in 2005, and her Ph.D. in Materials Chemistry from U.C. Santa Barbara in 2011. Following her Ph.D., Prof. Ortony conducted postdoctoral research under Samuel Stupp at Northwestern University. Prof. Ortony joined the faculty of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT in 2016, where she holds the Samuel Goldblith Chair. Her group specializes in molecular design, dynamics characterization, and engineering of supramolecular nanomaterials to address health and environmental challenges. Prof. Ortony is the recipient of the Best Graduate Advisor Award from her department, the Bose Fellowship, and she is a recipient of the National Science Foundation Early Career Award.

Zoom Link: https://stanford.zoom.us/j/92153920201?pwd=YW5PV1kxek9Cd2xuY0xwWU9zNWdWUT09

Zoom Password: 257509