Scripps Research chemists develop new sustainable reaction for creating unique molecular building blocks The building blocks can be used to create polymers with previously unexplored structures and fine-tunable properties, with applications across energy storage and more.
August 08, 2024
LA JOLLA, CA Polymers can be thought of like trains: Just as a train is composed of multiple cars, polymers are made up of multiple monomers, and the couplings between the train cars are similar to the chemical bonds that link monomers together. While polymers have myriad applications from drug delivery to construction materials their structures and functions are restricted by the chemically similar monomer building blocks they're composed of.
Now, Scripps Research chemists and additional collaborators have developed a new reaction to create unique monomers in a controlled way. This reaction, which uses nickel as a catalyst, ultimately enables scientists to create polymers with unique and modifiable properties for drug delivery, energy storage, microelectronics and more. The study was published in Nature Synthesis on August 8, 2024.
This study shows how earth-abundant metal catalysts can unlock the path toward previously unknown materials with unparalleled structural and functional diversity, says senior author Keary Engle, PhD, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at Scripps Research.
The Engle lab at Scripps Research focuses on developing new chemical reactions to build a wide and diverse array of small molecules, typically with applications in drug discovery. In this study, the Scripps Research team collaborated with polymer researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Pittsburgh to test whether their methods could be scaled up to create unique polymers.
The properties of polymers are very much dependent on what type of chemistry is on the backbone, so if you can modify the chemistry of the building blocks, then you can easily apply it to the macromolecular structure that youre building, says Anne Ravn, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Engle lab at Scripps Research and co-first author on the paper. With this project we wanted to test whether our strategy for developing small molecules could be applied to a bigger picture to provide new building blocks for polymer synthesis.
The paper's other first authors are Van Tran, PhD, who worked on the project as a graduate student in the Engle lab; Camille Rubel, a current graduate student in the Engle lab; Mizhi Xu, PhD, a former graduate student in the Gutekunst lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology; and Yue Fu, PhD, a former graduate student in the Liu lab at the University of Pittsburgh.
To create the new monomers, the Scripps Research team developed a chemical reaction that alters the structure of a starting molecule by using nickel as a catalyst. The nickel-catalyzed reaction added two new functional groups to the molecule small side chains that confer different chemical and physical properties on the ensuing polymer, for example, how flexible, elastic or soluble it is.
Then, the team's collaborators at Georgia Institute of Technology used another chemical reaction to link the monomers together via polymerization, resulting in polymers with a unique structure.
Most commercial polymers have two carbons in between each functional group that are not decorated with any side chains, but in this case, the functional groups are much closer in space, which creates a material with different properties, says Ravn.
In the future, the team plans to explore the impact of substituting different functional groups onto the monomers.
Our strategy allows us to decorate' the molecule with much more flexibility than other methods, which gives us more freedom to explore different types of functionalities in the building blocks, says Ravn. Were now working to expand the method to explore how introducing other types of functional groups changes the properties of the material.
Because nickel is more abundant than many other metal catalysts used in this type of chemical reaction, the researchers say that their method holds promise as an environmentally sustainable method for polymer production. They're also exploring ways to make the products even more sustainable.
From an environmental perspective, we want to find a method to degrade these long polymers so that we can get back to the original building blocks, which would allow us to reuse them, says Ravn. This is a tool that we hope to fine-tune in the future to ultimately create new technologies that are useful for society.
Ni-catalysed dicarbofunctionalization for the synthesis of sequence-encoded cyclooctene monomers was co-authored by Ethan Wagner, Steven R. Wisniewski, Peng Liu, and Will Gutekunst of Scripps Research.
Support for the research was provided by the Department of Energy (DESC0023205), the National Science Foundation (CHE-2102550), the Independent Research Fund Denmark (grant ID: 10.46540/3102-00009B), and the Schimmel Family Endowed Scholarship Fund.
Molecular Medicine Engle, Keary
North America Stories
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Marshall Electronics launches the CV420-27X, its next-generation ultra-high-definition (UHD) IP camera, at ISE 2026 (Stand 4N900). Engineered for modern IP-base...
28/01/2026
Grass Valley has announced that Television Mobiles Ltd. (TVM), one of Europe's leading independent outside broadcast providers, has carried out a major refu...
28/01/2026
AI, graphics and virtual software power new production capabilities
FOR-A is bringing remarkable new technologies to FOMEX, the Future of Media Exhibition (ex...
28/01/2026
Continuing a longstanding collaboration, Riedel Communications and Nordic media technology company Media Tailor have once again joined forces to deliver a state...
28/01/2026
Pebble has appointed Paul Nagle-Smith as vice president for customer fulfilment, strengthening its senior leadership focus on customer delivery and operational ...
28/01/2026
Cloud playout solutions provider, Veset has announced that leading Mexican broadcaster, TV Azteca is using Veset Nimbus on AWS as a disaster recovery (DR) playo...
28/01/2026
Ensuring it can keep pace with a rapidly evolving live sports market, Balkan broadcast facility provider MVP Most Valuable Production has upgraded its flags...
28/01/2026
Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the cloud solutions provider that powers and protects life online, and Yospace, the leader in dynamic ad insertion tec...
28/01/2026
The renowned Reykjavik City Theatre (RCT) recently underwent a major intercom system upgrade using Clear-Com solutions. This milestone project utilizes Clear-C...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Boston Conservatory Orchestra Premieres a New Piano Concerto by Peter and Leonar...
27/01/2026
L-R: Jonathan Cuchacovich, Sonia Kennebeck, Alan Fischer, Daeil Kim, Andrew Sta...
27/01/2026
Nielsen will continue to drive growth and provide local audience measurement
in...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Amagi Media Labs Limited, the only cloud-native SaaS provider offering end-to-end solutions across live production, content preparation, distribution, and monet...
27/01/2026
Miri Technologies Inc. today unveiled its V410 live 4K video encoder/decoder for streaming, IP-based production workflows and AV-over-IP distribution. Designed ...
27/01/2026
The Paul E. Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell in Massachusetts has chosen Ikegami cameras for incorporation into its broadcast-quality television production facili...
27/01/2026
SipRadius, specialists in secure, low latency media transport, will show the pro AV community its end-to-end solution for high quality content distribution and ...
27/01/2026
Hiltron will highlight the fruits of its 45-plus years of experience in satellite communications system integration and product development at the annual GovSat...
27/01/2026
Klvr will demonstrate how its Charger Pro solution is delivering cost reduction and performance benefits for live entertainment and pro AV markets at ISE 2026 (...
27/01/2026
Amino, a global media technology leader in enterprise video and digital signage, today announced that its Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 booth (4N700) wil...
27/01/2026
ANI, India's leading news agency and a major content provider across the Asia Pacific region, today announced a significant expansion of its long standing p...
27/01/2026
Independent analysis confirms faster encoding, lower CPU usage, and improved perceptual quality compared to CBR and CRF
VisualOn, a leader in multimedia playba...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
When It Feels Real, Is It Still a Lie? The Art of Sarah' ...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
That Night premiering on Netflix March 13
Entertainment
27 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
DOWNLOAD THE KEY ART
DOWNLO...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Revealed the Future of Mexican Stories Coming in 2026
Entertainment
27 January 2026
GlobalMexico
Link copied to clipboard
Among t...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
Four New Japan Titles Announced for 2026: Viral Hit', On...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
What's Next on Netflix from Japan: Expanding the Possibili...
27/01/2026
AI, graphics and virtual software power new production capabilities...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Advanced Systems Group (ASG) today announced an exclusive partnership with Nu Studio, the company behind the first modular, portable studio designed for immersi...
26/01/2026
OpenDrives, the leader in high-end video data management and workflow solutions, today announced an add-on investment to its previous funding rounds, led by IAG...
26/01/2026
SmallHD today announced a major update to its award-winning PageOS software, introducing Fleet Control, Portrait Mode, expanded Camera Control features, and Dow...
26/01/2026
Whether rigging a PTZ on a truss, sliding a Blackmagic camera across a mezzanine railing, or capturing the mayhem from inside a drum, Filipic delivers visuals t...
26/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils Official Trailer for Salvador
Entertainment
26 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
DISCOVER THE TRAILER
DO...
26/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Presents Our 2026 Series and Films and Announces New Projects
Entertainment
26 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
...
Scripps Research chemists develop new sustainable reaction for creating unique molecular building blocks The building blocks can be used to create polymers with previously unexplored structures and fine-tunable properties, with applications across energy storage and more. 
