TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY: Peptoid-Based Chelating Ligands for Selective Metal Chelation
Contract Overview
Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
AI Contract Overview
The contract offers a licensing opportunity for a novel technology involving peptoid-based chelating ligands designed for highly selective and stable metal ion capture. These ligands are synthesized as cyclic peptoid scaffolds, which differ from traditional peptides by having side chains attached to nitrogen atoms, enhancing their hydrolytic stability under physiological and harsh conditions. This design allows for structural flexibility and tunability, enabling precise binding of specific hard metal ions such as actinides and lanthanides. By adjusting ring size, side-chain chemistry, and spacing, the chelators can be customized for applications requiring selective metal removal, retention, or controlled release in diverse environments including biological, environmental, and industrial settings. Key advantages of the technology include strong selectivity for difficult-to-bind metal ions, modular design adaptability for various applications, and enhanced resistance to degradation compared to conventional chelators. The platform supports tuning of chemical properties such as hydrophobicity and coordinating group number, catering to needs in medical chelation therapy, imaging contrast agents, drug delivery, environmental remediation, metal recovery, and radiotherapy. The invention is at a Technology Readiness Level of 4, supported by multiple granted U.S. patents, and is available for licensing through Los Alamos National Laboratory. The contract, managed by the Department of Energy, invites companies to explore commercial development partnerships, with the response deadline set for late June 2026.
General Info
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Place of Performance
Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USASet-Aside
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Full Description
Peptoid-based chelating ligands offer a tunable platform for capturing and holding specific metal ions with high selectivity while resisting breakdown under physiological conditions. The technology combines structural flexibility with strong binding performance, which creates a practical path for applications where existing chelators fall short, including difficult metal removal in biological, environmental and separation settings.
How it Works
Peptoid-Based Chelating Ligands uses cyclic peptoid scaffolds, which are peptoid chains closed into ring structures and decorated with side chains chosen for metal binding. By changing the ring size, side-chain chemistry and spacing between binding groups, the ligand can be adjusted to favor certain hard metal ions, especially actinides and lanthanides.
Technical Description
Peptoids differ from peptides because their side chains attach to nitrogen rather than to carbon, which makes them more resistant to hydrolysis under physiological conditions. That stability matters because many conventional chelators can lose activity in the body or in harsh process streams, while peptoid-based structures are designed to remain intact long enough to bind and hold the target metal.
The invention describes cyclic peptoid ligands that can be built from linear peptoids and then cyclized, with the binding profile tuned through functional groups such as catecholates, phosphonates, amines, guanidinium groups, phosphoramidates, N-hydroxypyridones and CMPO-like groups. Linker length, hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity and the number of coordinating groups can be adjusted to improve selectivity for specific ions and to support either tight retention for removal or controlled release after capture.
Advantages
- Strong selectivity for hard metal ions, including actinides and lanthanides
- Greater resistance to hydrolysis than many natural chelators
- Modular design that allows tuning for different metals and uses
- Potential use across medical, imaging and separation applications
- Ability to adjust water compatibility or lipid compatibility depending on the target environment
- Built from a platform chemistry that can be adapted to different side-chain combinations
Market Applications
- Environmental Remediation and Waste Handling (actinide capture and metal cleanup)
- Medical Chelation Therapy (treatment support for metal poisoning)
- Medical Imaging (contrast-agent development)
- Drug Delivery (carrier or targeting chemistry)
- Separations and Purification (selective recovery of valuable metals)
- Radiotherapy Support (targeted metal-based delivery systems)
TRL 4
US Patent Nos. 11,254,708; 11,859,018
LA-UR-26-23913
LANL Tech Partnerships: Unlock the Innovative Potential
Los Alamos National Laboratory offers a wide range of cutting-edge technologies and capabilities that may provide your company with a competitive edge in the market and unlock the innovative potential that can enhance, refine, and revolutionize your products.
LANL’s licensing program focuses on moving inventions developed by our researchers to commercial innovations. Patented and patent pending inventions and copyrighted software are available to existing and start-up companies through exclusive and non-exclusive licensing agreements. For specific discussions, please contact licensing@lanl.gov.
Note: This is not a call for external services for the development of this technology.
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