Broadly defined, research in our group involves the development of synthetic methodology, with particular applications to template-organized polymer materials. Potential applications are in the areas of chromatography, catalysis, bioÂmedical materials, molecular recognition and sensor technology. Two major areas of interest in our group are illustrated below.
Molecular Imprinting in 3-D Network Polymers: Network polymers can also be engineered for molecular recognition and catalytic properties using the method of molecular imprinting, shown below. To imprint a molecule, functionalized monomers are bound to a template molecule and the resulting complex is copolymerized with cross-linking monomers. Removal of the template leaves cavities in the polymer that are complementary in size, shape and chemical functionality to the template molecule. This rapidly developing technique provides polymeric artificial receptors, catalysts, organic zeolites, chromatographic supports and biosensors.
Molecular Imprinting in 2-D films: In order to obtain surface-imprinted and/or thin film materials, we are exploring an alternative strategy that involves molecular imprinting of alkanethiol self-assembled monolayer films (i.e. SAMs) on gold. The general strategy is illustrated below, for color-changing thin film for sensor applications. The third and/or fourth involve removal of the template, followed by the fifth step which is to verify and quantify binding and selectivity of the template by the imprinted film. Other variations on this theme are also being explored.
Associate Editor, Journal of Molecular Recognition; 2006-present
National Academy of Sciences - Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation: 9th Annual German-American Frontiers of Science, Invited Speaker; 2003
NSF CAREER Award, 2002
Research Corporation Cottrell Scholar Award, 2001
Louisiana State University Tiger Athletic Foundation Undergraduate Teaching Award, 2001
Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, 2000
Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, 2000
NIH Post-Doctoral Fellowship, 1995-1997
S. Balamurugan, A. Obubuafo, S. Soper, R.L. McCarley, D.A. Spivak. Designing Highly Specific Biosensing Surfaces Using Aptamer Monolayers on Gold. Langmuir, 2006
R. Simon, S. Houck, D.A. Spivak. Comparison of particle size and flow rate optimization for chromatography using one-monomer molecularly imprinted polymers versus traditional non-covalent molecularly imprinted polymers. Analytica Chimica Acta, 2005, 542, 104-110
David A. Spivak. Optimization, evaluation, and characterization of molecularly imprinted polymers. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 2005, 57, 1779-1794
D.A. Spivak. Selectivity in Molecularly Imprinted Polymers. Molecularly Imprinted Materials, Science and Technology, 2005, M. Yan, O. Ramstrom, Eds.; Marcel Dekker, New York, 395-417
M. Sibrian-Vazquez, D.A. Spivak. Molecular Imprinting Made Easy. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2004, 126, 7827-7833
M. Sibrian-Vazquez. Characterization of Novel Materials for Molecularly Imprinted Polymers using Hybrid Crosslinking Monomers. Journal of Polymer Science, Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 2004, 42, 3668-3675
R. Simon, D.A. Spivak. Performance Analysis of MIPs for Carboxylate and Aminophosphate Templates using Commercially Available Basic Functional Monomers. Journal of Chromatography B, 2004, 804, 203-209
H. Kim, D.A. Spivak. New Insight into Modeling Non-Covalently Imprinted Polymers. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2003, 125, 11269-11275
M. Sibrian Vazquez, D.A. Spivak. Enhanced Enantioselectivity of Imprinted Polymers Formulated with Novel Crosslinking Monomers. Macromolecules, 2003, 36, 5105-5113
M. Sibrian-Vazquez, D.A. Spivak. A convenient synthesis of 3-(S)-amino-butyrolactone. Synlett, 2002, 7, 1105-1106
D.A. Spivak and K.J. Shea. Investigation into the Scope and Limitations of Molecular Imprinting with DNA Molecules. Anal. Chim. Acta., 2001, 435, 65-74
D.A. Spivak and J. Campbell. Systematic Study of Steric and Spatial Contributions to Molecular Recognition by Non-Covalent Imprinted Polymers. Analyst, 2001, 126, 793-797