Andrea Carlini (UCSB): "Stimuli-responsive Fluorogenic Materials using NITEC Chemistry"

Andrea S. Carlini holds a B.S. in Chemistry and Biological Sciences from Virginia Tech. She completed her Ph.D. research on "Dynamic Biosynthetic Polymers for Myocardial Tissue Engineering" at the University of California San Diego, supported by an NSF GRFP Fellowship under the mentorship of Prof. Nathan C. Gianneschi. Following her doctoral studies, she pursued postdoctoral research with Prof. John A. Rogers at the Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics (QSIB). In 2022, Dr. Carlini joined the faculty at the University of California Santa Barbara as an Assistant Professor of (Bio)Materials in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. The Carlini Group develops structurally dyanamic biomaterials and devices.

Abstract: In recent decades, the significance of photo-induced processes has surged across various disciplines, including organic chemistry, biochemistry, materials science, and polymer chemistry. Within polymer science, there is a growing demand for efficient light-triggered ligation techniques, fueled by the formidable challenges posed by post-polymerization transformations and purification procedures.

One particularly notable technique garnering significant attention is NITEC chemistry, distinguished by its fluorescent properties. This method, known as the nitrile imine-mediated tetrazole–ene cycloaddition (NITEC) reaction, involves irradiating a 2,5-substituted tetrazole, resulting in the elimination of N2 and the formation of a highly reactive nitrile imine species capable of rapid 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. In this work, we present a synthetic methodology for a series of highly fluorescent probes, polymers, and hydrogels derived from non-fluorescent precursors. We emphasize their versatility as optical reporters of material assembly/disassembly and as endogenous sensors of reactive oxygen species (ROS).