Microporous Water for in vivo Gas Absorption
Abstract
The proposed research targets a nascent class of materials#aqueous fluids with permanent microporosity#that possess both intrinsic porosity and fluidity. By dispersing microporous nanoparticles with specially selected internal surface chemistries in aqueous media, permanent porosity in excess of 10 vol % can be introduced to water without compromising the fluidity of the overall solution. Termed "microporous water", these fluids thus feature extremely high gas absorption capacities. Already, candidate microporous fluids developed in our lab have demonstrated gas capacities greatly exceeding that of even a pure gas phase, with viscosities that are comparable to#or lower than#human blood. Furthermore, these solutions display extremely rapid gas exchange kinetics and excellent reversibility, as well as high chemical stability. This combination of properties provides exciting opportunities for realizing a new generation of artificial gas carriers that overcome long-standing challenges associated with treating hypoxia and decompression sickness. Here, we propose an interdisciplinary effort to investigate the use of microporous water for in vivo gas absorption. Through a combination of materials synthesis and functionalization, in vitro assays, and in vivo studies, we will design microporous water formulations that are biocompatible and capable of increasing the N2 carrying capacity of blood to mitigate the risk of decompression sickness during diving. This project is expected to open new areas of research within biological gas absorption and storage and provide insights relevant to translating microporous water into viable biomedical technologies. This research will contribute to new applications of particular importance to the ONR and DoD, including the treatment of decompression sickness in deep sea diving, toxic gas removal, and high-density gas storage. This research effort will be led by Professor Jarad A. Mason in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University, and Dr. Yifeng Peng in the Harvard Medical School and the Department of Cardiology at Boston Children#s Hospital will serve as a subawardee. The proposal title is: #Microporous Water for in vivo Gas Absorption#. The total funds requested from ONR for the performance period is $1,050,000.APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 11, 2024
- Source ID
- N000142412282
Entities
People
- Jarad A Mason
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- President and Fellows of Harvard College
- United States Navy