Virgil Percec

P. Roy Vagelos Chair and Professor of Chemistry
Organic, Supramolecular and Macromolecular Chemistry

Office: 4003 IAST
Lab: 4160 IAST
Phone: (215) 573-5527
Fax: (215) 573-7888
Email: percecsasupennedu
Research Group Website: http://perceco2.chem.upenn.edu/~percec/

Jump to: Research Statement | Education and Academic History | Selected Publications

Research Statement
Our research group is involved in the elaboration of synthetic methods, strategies and architectural concepts, as well as in the understanding of the fundamental principles that govern the rational design and synthesis of complex molecular, macromolecular, and supramolecular nonbiological systems that exhibit biological functions. Biological systems are employed as models to develop the synthetic architectural motifs and to control their self-assembly and self-organization during the creation of ordered systems. Our research strikes a balance among a diversity of interrelated disciplines, such as organic, bioorganic, macromolecular, and supramolecular synthesis and catalysis, seeking to understand, mimic, and extend Nature's solutions to the design of synthetic functional nanosystems.

Hierarchical folding, supramolecular chirality, nonbiological ionic and electronic channels and nanowires, nanostructured supramolecular membranes, externally regulated drug release mechanisms, enzyme-like catalytic systems, and self-interrupted organic and macromolecular synthesis are examples of new concepts that are under investigation. Central to the capacity of biological molecules to perform critical functions is their ability to form highly organized and stable 3-D structures using a combination of molecular recognition processes. Therefore, the combinatorial libraries of synthetic building blocks required in our strategies consist of combinations of macrocyclic, dendritic, and other primary sequences that are able to fold into well-defined conformations and also contain all the information required to control and self-repair their secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure at the same level of precision as in biological molecules. To what extent the delicate balance between the structures and functions evolved in Nature during billions of years can be transplanted to synthetic molecules is a fascinating question.

Towards these goals, we also develop new synthetic methods for the formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds using metal-catalyzed homo- and cross-coupling, radical, and various ionic and ion-radical reactions. Living and non-statistically self-interrupted polymerization methods are elaborated based on these organic reactions. The design of the internal structure of complex single molecules and the elucidation of the reactivity principles induced by the controlled environment confined within a single molecule or supramolecule are actively pursued. This research involves collaborations with structural and computational chemists and biochemists.




Education and Academic History

Selected Publications
1. S. D. Hudson, H.-T. Jung, V. Percec, W.-D. Cho, G. Johansson, G. Ungar and V. S. K. Balagurusamy. “Direct Visualization of Individual Cylindrical and Spherical Supramolecular Dendrimers.” Science, 278, 449-452 (1997).

2. V. Percec, C.-H. Ahn, G. Ungar, D. J. P. Yeardley, M. Moeller and S. S. Sheiko. “Controlling Polymer Shape through the Self-Assembly of Dendritic Side-Groups.” Nature, 391, 161-164 (1998).

3. V. Percec, B. Barboiu and H.-J. Kim. “Arenesulfonyl Halides: A Universal Class of Functional Initiators for Metal Catalyzed ‘Living’ Radical Polymerization or Styrene(s), Methacrylates and Acrylates.” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 120, 305-316 (1998).

4. V. Percec, C.-H. Ahn, W.-D. Cho, A. M. Jamieson, J. Kim, T. Leman, M. Schmidt, M. Gerle, M. Möller, S. A. Prokhorova, S. S. Sheiko, S. Z. D. Cheng, A. Zhang, G. Ungar and D. J. P. Yeardley. “Visualizable Cylindrical Macromolecules with Controlled Stiffness from Backbones Containing Libraries of Self-Assembling Dendritic Side Groups.” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 120, 8619-8631 (1998).

5. V. Percec, W.-D. Cho, G. Ungar and D. J. P. Yeardley. “Synthesis and Structural Analysis of Two Constitutional Isomeric Libraries of AB2 Based Monodendrons and Supramolecular Dendrimers.” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 123, 1302-1315 (2001).

6. V. Percec, M. Glodde, T. K. Bera, Y. Miura, I. Shiyanovskaya, K. D. Singer, V. S. K. Balagurusamy, P. A. Heiney, I. Schnell, A. Rapp, H.-W. Spiess, S. D. Hudson, and H. Duan. “Self-Organization of Supramolecular Helical dendrimers into Complex Electronic Matter.” Nature, 419, 384-387 (2002).

7. G. Ungar, Y. Liu, X. Zeng, V. Percec and W.-D. Cho. “Giant Supramolecular Liquid Crystal Lattice.” Science, 299, 1208-1211 (2003).

8. V. Percec, B. Barboiu, C. Grigoras and T. K. Bera. “Universal Iterative Strategy for the Divergent Synthesis of Dendritic Macromolecules from Conventional Monomers by a Combination of Living Radical Polymerization and Irreversible TERminator Multifunctional INItiator (TERMINI).” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 125, 6503-6516 (2003).

9. X. Zeng, G. Ungar, Y. Liu, V. Percec, A. Dulcey and J. K. Hobbs. “Supramolecular Dendritic Liquid Quasicrystals.” Nature, 428, 157-160 (2004).

10. V. Percec, G. M. Golding, J. Smidrkal and O. Weichold. “NiCl2(dppe)-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Aryl Mesylates, Arenesulfonates and Halides with Arylboronic Acids.” J. Org. Chem., 69, 3447-3452 (2004).

11. V. Percec, A. Dulcey, V. S. K. Balagurusamy, Y. Miura, J. Smidrkal, M. Peterca, S. Nummelin, U. Edlund, S. D. Hudson, P. A. Heiney, H. Duan, S. N. Magonov and S. A. Vinogradov. “Self-Assembly of Amphiphilic Dendritic Dipeptides into Helical Pores.” Nature, 430, 764-768 (2004).

12. V. Percec, J. G. Rudick, M. Peterca, M. Wegner, M. Obata, C. M. Mitchell, W.-D. Cho, V. S. K. Balagurusamy and P. A. Heiney. “Thermoreversible Cis-Cisoidal to Cis-Transoidal Isomerization of Helical Dendronized Polyphenylacetylenes.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127, 15257-15264 (2005).

13. V. Percec, A. E. Dulcey, M. Peterca, M. Ilies, S. Nummelin, M. J. Sienkowska and P. A. Heiney. “Principles of Self-Assembly of Helical Pores from Dendritic Dipeptides.” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 103, 2518-2523 (2006).

14. V. Percec, M. Peterca, M. J. Sienkowska, M. A. Ilies, E. Aqad, J. Smidrkal and P. A. Heiney. “Synthesis and Retrostructural Analysis of Libraries of AB3 and Constitutional Isomeric AB2 Phenylpropyl Ether Based Supramolecular Dendrimers.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128, 3324-3334 (2006).

15. V. Percec, G. Ungar, M. Peterca. “Self-Assembly in Action.” Science, 313, 55-56 (2006).

16. V. Percec, T. Guliashvili, J. S. Ladislaw, A. Wistrand, A. Stjerndahl, M. J. Sienkowska, M. J. Monteiro, S. Sahoo. “Ultrafast Synthesis of Ultrahigh Molar Mass Polymers by Metal-Catlayzed Living Radical Polymerization of Acrylates, Methacrylates, and Vinyl Chloride Mediated by SET at 25 ºC.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128, 14156-14165 (2006).

17. V. Percec, A.E. Dulcey, M. Peterca, P. Adelman, R. Samant, V.S.K. Balagurusamy, P.A. Heiney. “Helical Pores Self-Assembled from Homochiral Dendritic Dipeptides Based on L-Tyr and Nonpolar α-Amino Acids.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129, 5992-6002 (2007).

18. B. M. Rosen and V. Percec. “A Reaction to Stress.” Nature 446, 381-382 (2007).