My research group has been exploring the scientific applications of room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) for several years. More recently, we have extended the range of these materials to include applications of similar solid phase materials, i.e. organic salts with melting points of solid phase ionic liquids (25 °C to 100 °C) up to organic salts with melting points of 250 °C. To contrast these new materials with RTILs, we have created the acronym, GUMBOS (Group of Uniform Materials Based on Organic Salts). These GUMBOS have the tunable properties frequently associated with RTILs, including tunable solubility, melting point, viscosity, thermal stability, hydrophobicity, and functionality. Thus, when taken in aggregate, GUMBOS allow the production of solid phase materials which have a wide range of biomedical and other scientific applications. In this talk, I will highlight the applications of RTILs and GUMBOS which we have recently explored for biomedical science, including sensors, imaging agents, stimuli-responsive materials, and for production of nanomaterials. In regard to these nanomaterials (nanoGUMBOS), we believe that our methodology represents an extremely useful approach to production of tunable nanomaterials since our materials are designed and assembled for specific uses, rather than adapted for use as is done for many nanomaterials. Selected applications, including sensor applications and cancer therapy, will be highlighted in this talk. Particular emphasis will be placed on a recently developed novel strategy for cancer therapy.

Ionic liquids and GUMBOS: Tunable materials for biomedical applications

255th National Meeting (2018)

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