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The Schindler and Kulik labs report that matching of the frontier molecular orbital energies of alkenes with those of acyclic oximes enables visible light–mediated aza Paternò–Büchi reactions through triplet energy transfer catalysis. The reaction used to create azetidines is driven by a photocatalyst that excites the molecules from their ground energy state. Using computational models developed by the Kulik lab, we were able to predict compounds that can react with each other to form azetidines using this kind of catalysis. Article Link

NSF MONET was a proud major sponsor of the inaugural Polymer Women Empowerment & Research (PoWER) Conference, hosted July 11 & 12 at Northwestern University. Julia Kalow was a co-organizer, Monica Olvera de la Cruz was an invited speaker, EAB Member Emily Pentzer was a workshop leader, trainees Yixin Hu, Jolly Patro, Emmanuel Garcia Villatoro, Christina Hemmingsen, and Alexis Martell Monterroza attended for MONET.

A team from the Steinmetz and Nelson labs introduce a 3D-printable virus-like particle (VLP)-enhanced cross-linked biopolymer system. VLPs displaying surface-available acrylate groups were prepared through aza-Michael addition to serve as resins. The VLP resins were then photopolymerized into a poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) network following DLP 3D printing. This approach represents a convergence of disciplines, where the synergistic interaction between virology and additive manufacturing unlocks new frontiers in biotechnology. Article Link

NSF MONET Postdoc Tetsu Ouchi has accepted an Assistant Professor position at Louisiana State University. Congratulations Tetsu!

A team from the Nelson and Olvera de la Cruz labs establish a strain learning mechanical metamaterial that can not only recover after plastic deformation but also become stronger and stiffer in response to the applied loads. These protein–polymer strain learning metamaterials offer a unique platform for materials that can autonomously remodel after being deformed, mimicking the remodeling processes that occur in natural materials. Article Link

A team from the Johnson, Olsen, and Craig labs show that incorporating bis-acrylate “transferinkers,” which are cross-linkers capable of undergoing degenerative chain transfer and new strand growth, as additives (5–25 mol%) into homemade or commercially available photopolymer resins leads to photopolymer thermosets with substantially improved tensile toughness and triggered chemical deconstructability with minimal impacts on Young's moduli, tensile strengths, and glass transition temperatures Article Link

A team from the Moore, Campos, and Kulik labs developed a novel mechanochemical uncaging strategy to unveil aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) with diverse emission characteristics using engineered norborn-2-en-7-one (NEO) mechanophores. The result provides a highly tunable reporter that traces progress with continuous color evolution. This advancement paves the way for future applications of mechanoresponsive materials in areas like damage detection and bioimaging. Article Link

A team from the Moore lab introduce the restoring force triangle (RFT) to facilitate understanding of the selective responsiveness of mechanophores as specific molecular units within the macromolecular backbone that are particularly sensitive to tension. The RFT helps chemists intuitively understand how tensile force contributes to the activation of a putative mechanophore, facilitating the development of mechanochemical reactions and mechano-responsive materials. Article Link

A team from the Klausen, Craig, and Kulik labs report that differences in ring strain enthalpy between cis and trans isomers of sila-cycloheptene provide a driving force for both polymerization and depolymerization via olefin metathesis. The work showcases that subtle structural modifications can have dramatic effects on chemical reactivity relevant to polymer end-of-life management. Article Link

A team from the Olsen lab utilize a custom-built rheo-fluoresence setup to quantify bond dissociation in model end-linked associative polymers in real time with nonlinear shear deformation based on a fluorescence quench transition when phenanthroline ligands bind with Ni2+. Article Link

A team from the Kulik and Craig labs leverage density functional theory (DFT) and external force explicitly included (EFEI) modeling to study a set of 395 feasible Fe2+ and Co2+ candidates to discover potential transition metal mechanophores exhibiting force-activated spin-crossover. The set of spin-crossover mechanophores, the design principles, and the computational approach will be useful in guiding the high-throughput discovery of transition metal mechanophores with diverse functionalities and broad applications, including mechanically activated catalysis. Article Link

A team from the Craig, Olsen, and Rubinstein labs, in collaboration with others at MIT, systematically study the fracture mechanics of polymer-like networks with hybrid bond strengths to reveal that varying the ratio of strong and weak strands within otherwise identical networks gives a non-monotonic relationship between intrinsic fracture energy and strong strand fraction. The interplay between concentration and clustering of strand types in networks with hybrid bond strengths, combined with crack growth phenomena and nonlocal energy release, provides insights into unusual fracture characteristics in polymer networks and percolated lattices. Article Link