Effect of Copolymer Structure on Rare-Earth-Element Chelation Thermodynamics

Tailoring Hierarchical Structure and Rare Earth Affinity of Compositionally Identical Polymers via Sequence Control

Macromolecule sequence, structure, and function are inherently intertwined. While well-established relationships exist in proteins, they are more challenging to define for synthetic polymer nanoparticles due to their molecular weight, sequence, and conformational dispersities. To explore the impact of sequence on nanoparticle structure, we synthesized a set of 16 compositionally identical, sequence-controlled polymers with distinct monomer patterning of dimethyl acrylamide and a bioinspired, structure-driving di(phenylalanine) acrylamide (FF). Sequence control was achieved through multiblock polymerizations, yielding unique ensembles of polymer sequences which were simulated by kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. Systematic analysis of the global (tertiary- and quaternary-like) structure in this amphiphilic copolymer series revealed the effect of multiple sequence descriptors: the number of domains, the hydropathy of terminal domains, and the patchiness (density) of FF within a domain, each of which impacted both chain collapse and the distribution of single- and multichain assemblies. Furthermore, both the conformational freedom of chain segments and local-scale, β-sheet-like interactions were sensitive to the patchiness of FF. To connect sequence, structure, and target function, we evaluated an additional series of nine sequence-controlled copolymers as sequestrants for rare earth elements (REEs) by incorporating a functional acrylic acid monomer into select polymer scaffolds. We identified key sequence variables that influence the binding affinity, capacity, and selectivity of the polymers for REEs. Collectively, these results highlight the potential of and boundaries of sequence control via multiblock polymerizations to drive primary sequence ensembles hierarchical structures, and ultimately the functionality of compositionally identical polymeric materials.

Predicting Ion Sequestration in Charged Polymers with the Steepest-Entropy-Ascent Quantum Thermodynamic Framework

The steepest-entropy-ascent quantum thermodynamic framework is used to investigate the effectiveness of multi-chain polyethyleneimine-methylenephosphonic acid in sequestering rare-earth ions (Eu3+) from aqueous solutions. The framework applies a thermodynamic equation of motion to a discrete energy eigenstructure to model the binding kinetics of europium ions to reactive sites of the polymer chains. The energy eigenstructure is generated using a non-Markovian Monte Carlo model that estimates energy level degeneracies. The equation of motion is used to determine the occupation probability of each energy level, describing the unique path through thermodynamic state space by which the polymer system sequesters rare-earth ions from solution. A second Monte Carlo simulation is conducted to relate the kinetic path in state space to physical descriptors associated with the polymer, including the radius of gyration, tortuosity, and Eu-neighbor distribution functions. These descriptors are used to visualize the evolution of the polymer during the sequestration process. The fraction of sequestered Eu3+ ions depends upon the total energy of the system, with lower energy resulting in greater sequestration. The kinetics of the overall sequestration are dependent on the steepest-entropy-ascent principle used by the equation of motion to generate a unique kinetic path from an initial non-equilibrium state.

Exploring the role of polymer hydrophobicity in polymer-metal binding thermodynamics

Metal-chelating polymers play a key role in rare-earth element (REE) extraction and separation processes. Often, these processes occur in aqueous solution, but the interactions among water, polymer, and REE are largely under-investigated in these applications. To probe these interactions, we synthesized a series of poly(amino acid acrylamide)s with systematically varied hydrophobicity around a consistent chelating group (carboxylate). We then measured the ΔH of Eu³⁺ chelation as a function of temperature across the polymer series using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to give the change in heat capacity (ΔC_P). We observed an order of magnitude variation in ΔC_P (39-471 J mol¹ K^-1) with changes in the hydrophobicity of the polymer. Atomistic simulations of the polymer-metal-water interactions revealed greater Eu³⁺ and polymer desolvation when binding to the more hydrophobic polymers. These combined experimental and computational results demonstrate that metal binding in aqueous solution can be modulated not only by directly modifying the chelating groups, but also by altering the molecular environment around the chelating site, thus suggesting a new design principle for developing increasingly effective metal-chelating materials.