Molecular Understanding and Design of Zwitterionic Materials

Zwitterionic materials have moieties possessing cationic and anionic groups. This molecular structure leads to unique properties that can be the solutions of various application problems. A typical example is that zwitterionic carboxybetaine (CB) and sulfobetaine (SB) materials resist nonspecific protein adsorption in complex media. Considering the vast number of cationic and anionic groups in the current chemical inventory, there are many possible structural variations of zwitterionic materials. The diversified structures provide the possibility to achieve many desired properties and urge a better understanding of zwitterionic materials to provide design principles. Molecular simulations and modeling are a…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• OO
  Office of Naval Research