Dynamic Constitutional Systems-toward selection of functions – DYNAFUN

DYNAFUN will involve four scientific strategies (S1-4), ranging from synthesis, dynamic system preparation and structural work, to applications. All individual projects can be envisaged to generally adopt the following flow plan: 1) Identification of the specific targets, which will generally be based on the foreseen final application. Once the targets are identified the specific building blocks and interaction possibilities will be carried out.
2) System design and synthesis of active components; The design of the specific molecular components and interaction possibilities will be undertaken. This step of system design will consist of the synthesis of active molecules and physical characterisation in order to increase the probabilities of the system.
3) DCFs preparation by using components involved in multivalent interactions with selected targets,
4) Assays to test and screen the systems towards the targets.
5) The best DCFs hits will be used in applications, from membranes to biosensors to diagnostics.

1. Biomimetic ionic channels as higly selective systems for cations of biological interest.
2. Novel biomimetic membranes for CO2 separation at high temperature.

Though separated tasks, there will be a permanent cross-talk in between the different sub-projects to adjust the achievement of DYNAFUN goals. To obtain a general view, different families of DIFs will be investigated, divided in work TASKS. To obtain a view as general as possible, different families of Dynamic Constitutional Systems will be investigated:
TASK 1: Eco-friendly self-healing materials
TASK 2: Rubbery Organic Frameworks-ROFs for CO2 separation and capture
TASK 3: Multivalent networks for drug delivery and DNA transfection
TASK 4: Bio-assays for membranes and biosensors

1. S. Schneider, E.-D. Licsandru, I. Kocsis, A. Gilles, F. Dumitru, E. Moulin, J. J. Tan, J.-M. Lehn, N. Giuseppone, M. Barboiu, Columnar Self-Assemblies of Triarylamines as Scaffolds for Artificial Biomimetic Channels for Ion and for Water Transport. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2017, 139, 3721-3727
2. D. Dumitrescu, W.-X. Feng, Y.-M. Legrand, E. Petit, A. van der Lee, M Barboiu Compression of 1,?-diammonium-(oligo)ethyleneglycol chains within the ?Pyrene box? Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2017, 3282–3287.
3. W.-X. Feng, Z. Sun, Y. Zhang, Y.-M. Legrand, E. Petit, C.-Y. Su, M. Barboiu, Bis-15-Crown-5-Ether-Pillar[5]arene K+-Responsive Channels. Org. Lett., 2017, 19(6), 1438-1441.
4. W.-X. Feng, A. van der Lee, Y.-M. Legrand, E Petit, C.-Y Su, M. Barboiu, ?Pyrene box? cages for the confinement of biogenic amines. Chem Eur J. 2017, 23, 4037-4041.
5. W.-X. Feng, A. van der Lee, Y.-M. Legrand, E. Petit, D. Dumitrescu, C.-Y. Su and M. Barboiu Adaptive encapsulation of ?-amino-acids and of their guanidinium-amide congeners, Org. Lett., 2016, 18, 5556-5559.
6. M. Y. M. Abdelrahim, C. F. Martins, L. A. Neves, C. Capasso, C. T. Supuran, I. M. Coelhoso, J. G. Crespo, M. Barboiu, Supported ionic liquid membranes immobilized with Carbonic Anhydrases for CO2 transport at high Temperatures, J. Membr. Sci., 2017, 528, 225-230.
7. Y. Zhang, W.-X. Feng, Y.-M. Legrand, C. T. Supuran, C.-Y. Su, M. Barboiu, Dynameric host frameworks for the activation of lipase through H-bond and interfacial encapsulation. Chem. Commun., 2016, 52, 13768-13770.
8. Y. Zhang, M. Barboiu, Dynameric asymmetric membranes for directional water transport, Chem. Commun., 2015, 15, 15925-15927.
9. H. This , J.-M. Lehn L’auto-organisation : vers une chimie de la matière complexe, Actualité Chimique, 2015, 399, 9-16.
10. .M. Barboiu, The future of membranes - toward the natural selection of functions. Actualité Chimique, 2015, 399, 37-43.

Natural systems have evolved for millions of years to accept complex evolutive structures. Our challenge is to implement living Dynamic Constitutional Systems-DCS supporting natural selection and functional evolution as a viable solution to post-synthetically assembled systems. Of scientific significance is that different DCSs could be extended to a vast field of social and scientific challenges, resulting in property/function-driven generation of new adaptive systems. At present moment, the way from molecular to designed nano-objects is too long. Science needs research to expand the fundamental understanding of nanoscale structures and properties for creating products and manufacturing processes. Moving dynamic systems into products and into the “functional” arena is a key objective of major technologies. We propose that the synergy arising from combining combinatorial dynamic strategies, with a strong structural support, should produce microsystems that can be effectively shared as merged marketable nanotechnology. The challenge is fairly ambitious. DYNAFUN is a focused project exploring conditions operating under a natural selection environment to allow structural/functional adaptability in response to internal constitutional or stimulant external factors. It combines the synergy gained from state-of-the-art scientific and technological areas at the interface between chemistry, biology, medicine, physics, in an unprecedented cross-disciplinary effort. This fundamental research project aims mastering multivalent reversible interactions to create functional adaptive/responsive systems with multiple applications. This proposal is about such complex networks, dynamically self-organizing in space and time to lead over natural selection to functional DCS with potential impact for environmental and bio-technological applications.