Digital Commons Network^™

Structural Insights Into The Cl-Par-4 Protein: Ionic Requirements, Conformational Transitions, And Interaction With Cisplatin, Krishna Kumar Raut

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Cancer continues to be the leading global cause of death, with challenges in early diagnosis, drug resistance, non-specific drug targeting, and cancer recurrence and metastasis posing formidable obstacles in cancer therapy. In this context, Prostate Apoptosis Response-4 (Par-4), a pro-apoptotic tumor suppressor protein, emerged as a promising therapeutic target due to its ability to selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells, thereby minimizing the drug-associated adverse effects. However, a comprehensive understanding of the structural features of Par-4, specifically the caspase-cleaved fragment (cl-Par-4), is crucial for therapeutic advancements.

This dissertation investigated the effects of various ions, both monovalent and divalent, on the …

Metals And Metal Complexes In Diseases With A Focus On Covid-19: Facts And Opinions, Agnieszka Ścibior, Manuel Aureliano, Alvin A. Holder, Juan Llopis

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

In the present Special Issue on “Metals and Metal Complexes in Diseases with a Focus on COVID-19: Facts and Opinions”, an attempt has been made to include reports updating our knowledge of elements considered to be potential candidates for therapeutic applications and certain metal-containing species, which are extensively being examined towards their potential biomedical use due to their specific physicochemical properties. The Special Issue compiles data on the role of metals in COVID-19 and focuses on other illnesses and biological processes that affect metal metabolism. It consists of eight manuscripts, including five review articles and three original research papers (Figure …

Nb3Sn Coating Of Twin Axis Cavity And Other Complex Srf Cavity Structures, Jayendrika Kumari Tiskumara

Physics Theses & Dissertations

In the field of Accelerator Science, for the low cost and increased quality factor, thin films coated niobium cavities are used in the modern SRF research. Within the potential substances, Nb₃Sn has shown higher critical temperature than niobium. Here the tin vapor diffusion method is used as the preferred technique to coat niobium cavities. So far, only elliptical cavities have been coated with Nb₃Sn and this technique has not yet been applied to cavities with complex geometries, which are also helpful in the accelerator science field. The Half-wave resonator could provide us data across frequencies of …

Molecular Evidence For The Export Of Terrigenous Organic Matter To The North Gulf Of Mexico By Solid-State 13C Nmr And Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry Of Humic Acids, Sarah Ann Ware

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Marine organic matter is mainly believed to originate from autochthonous organic matter, while terrigenous organic matter is assumed to be largely degraded prior to reaching the open ocean or more recently replaced by marine organic matter via a stripping process. Sediment samples along a transect extending from the Mississippi River Birdsfoot Delta to the Mississippi Canyon on the Louisiana continental shelf were examined by advanced analytical techniques, electrospray ionization coupled to a 12T Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (ESI-FTICR-MS) and quantitative solid-state multiple cross polarization magic angle spinning (multi-CPMAS) ¹³C NMR in an effort to understand the …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Cytotoxicity Studies Of A Copper(Ii) Complex With Vanillin 3-Ethyl-Thiosemcarbazone A Ligand, Novia Mann, Ifeoluwa Oyeyemi, Duaa R. Alajroush, Elizabeth A. Tonsel-White, Stephen J. Beebe, Alvin Holder

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive and challenging breast cancer subtypes to treat, as these cancer cells lack three common receptors: estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. The multiple oxidation states transition metals can occupy have made this narrowly explored group popular for anti-cancer research in recent decades. Furthermore, the success of cisplatin, which has platinum as a metal center, while being a cancer-fighting agent with serious side effects, has caused other metal centers to be investigated as possible alternatives as chemotherapeutic drugs. Copper, as a biologically essential metal, makes an attractive candidate …

Architecture Of Heptagonal Metallo-Macrocycles Via Embedding Metal Nodes Into Its Rigid Backbone, A.M.Shashika D. Wijerathna, He Zhao, Qiangqiang Dong, Qixia Bai, Zhiyuan Jiang, Jie Yuan, Jun Wang, Mingzhao Chen, Markus Zirnheld, Rockwell T. Li, Yuan Zhang, Yiming Li, Pingshan Wang

College of Sciences Posters

Metal-organic macrocycles have received increasing attention not only due to their versatile applications such as molecular recognition, compounds encapsulation, anti-bacteria and others, but also for their important role in the study of structure-property relationship at nano scale. However, most of the constructions utilize benzene ring as the backbone, which restricts the ligand arm angle in the range of 60, 120 and 180 degrees. Thus, the topologies of most metallo-macrocycles are limited as triangles and hexagons, and explorations of using other backbones with large angles and the construction of metallo-macrocycles with more than six edges are very rare.

In this study, …

Global Oceanic Diazotroph Database Version 2 And Elevated Estimate Of Global N2 Fixation, Zhibo Shao, Yangchun Xu, Hua Wang, Weicheng Luo, Lice Wang, Yuhong Huang, Nona Sheila R. Agawin, Ayaz Ahmed, Mar Benavides, Mikkel Bentzon-Tilia, Ilana Berman-Frank, Hugo Berthelot, Isabelle C. Biegala, Mariana B. Bif, Antonio Bode, Sophie Bonnet, Deborah A. Bronk, Mark V. Brown, Lisa Campbell, Ya-Wei Luo

OES Faculty Publications

Marine diazotrophs convert dinitrogen (N₂) gas into bioavailable nitrogen (N), supporting life in the global ocean. In 2012, the first version of the global oceanic diazotroph database (version 1) was published. Here, we present an updated version of the database (version 2), significantly increasing the number of in situ diazotrophic measurements from 13 565 to 55 286. Data points for N₂ fixation rates, diazotrophic cell abundance, and nifH gene copy abundance have increased by 184 %, 86 %, and 809 %, respectively. Version 2 includes two new data sheets for the nifH gene copy abundance of non-cyanobacterial …

Systemic Analyses Of Radiocarbon Ages Of Coexisting Planktonic Foraminifera, Jörg Lippold, Julia Gottschalk, Jean Lynch-Stieglitz, Matthew W. Schmidt, Sönke Szidat, Andre Bahr

OES Faculty Publications

We compare radiocarbon (¹⁴C) ages of coexisting planktonic foraminifera species from sediment cores VM12-107 and KNR166-2-26JPC from the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean for three time periods (Holocene, Heinrich Stadial 1, last glacial maximum). We find a maximum inter-species difference of 1200 ¹⁴C yr. On average, the ¹⁴C ages deviate by ∼300 yr between Globigerinoides ruber and other species. In most cases, this exceeds the analytical uncertainty range of the measurements and thus renders the choice of species for generating age models as important as sample weight. While modern stratified water-column profiles imply an increase in ¹⁴C …

Authigenic Iron Is A Significant Component Of Oceanic Labile Particulate Iron Inventories, Laura E. Sofen, Olga A. Antipova, Kristen N. Buck, Salvatore Caprara, Lauren Chacho, Rodney J. Johnson, Gabriella Kim, Peter Morton, Daniel C. Ohnemus, Sara Rauschenberg, Peter N. Sedwick, Alessandro Tagliabue, Benjamin S. Twining

OES Faculty Publications

Particulate phases transport trace metals (TM) and thereby exert a major control on TM distribution in the ocean. Particulate TMs can be classified by their origin as lithogenic (crustal material), biogenic (cellular), or authigenic (formed in situ), but distinguishing these fractions analytically in field samples is a challenge often addressed using operational definitions and assumptions. These different phases require accurate characterization because they have distinct roles in the biogeochemical iron cycle. Particles collected from the upper 2,000 m of the northwest subtropical Atlantic Ocean over four seasonal cruises throughout 2019 were digested with a chemical leach to operationally distinguish labile …

Outstanding Advantages, Current Drawbacks, And Significant Recent Developments In Mechanochemistry: A Perspective View, Silvina Pagola

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Although known since antiquity, mechanochemistry has remained dormant for centuries. Nowadays, mechanochemistry is a flourishing research field at the simultaneous stages of gathering data and (often astonishing) observations, and scientific argumentation toward their analysis, for which the combination of interdisciplinary expertise is necessary. Mechanochemistry’s implementation as a synthetic method is constantly increasing, although it remains far from being fully exploited, or understood on the basis of fundamental principles. This review starts by describing many remarkable advantages of mechanochemical reactions, simplifying and “greening” chemistry in solutions. This description is followed by an overview of the current main weaknesses to be addressed …

Para-Methoxybenzylidene Acetal-Protected D-Glucosamine Derivatives As Ph-Responsive Gelators And Their Applications For Drug Delivery, Jonathan Bietsch, Logan Baker, Anna Duffney, Alice Mao, Mary Foutz, Cheandri Ackermann, Guijun Wang

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Carbohydrate-based low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) are compounds with the capability to self-assemble into complex molecular networks within a solvent, leading to solvent immobilization. This process of gel formation depends on noncovalent interactions, including Van der Waals, hydrogen bonding, and π–π stacking. Due to their potential applications in environmental remediation, drug delivery, and tissue engineering, these molecules have emerged as an important area of research. In particular, various 4,6-O-benzylidene acetal-protected D-glucosamine derivatives have shown promising gelation abilities. In this study, a series of C-2-carbamate derivatives containing a para-methoxy benzylidene acetal functional group were synthesized and characterized. These compounds exhibited good …

The Effect Of Metalation On Antimicrobial Piscidins Imbedded In Normal And Oxidized Lipid Bilayers, Ana Dreab, Craig A. Bayse

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Metalation of the N-terminal Amino Terminal Cu(II)- and Ni(II)-binding (ATCUN) motif may enhance the antimicrobial properties of piscidins. Molecular dynamics simulations of free and nickelated piscidins 1 and 3 (P1 and P3) were performed in 3 : 1 POPC/POPG and 2.6 : 1 : 0.4 POPC/POPG/aldo-PC bilayers (POPC, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine: POPG, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol; aldo-PC, 1-palmitoyl-2-(9′-oxo-nonanoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) bilayer models. Nickel(II) binding decreases the conformation dynamics of the ATCUN motif and lowers the charge of the N-terminus to allow it to embed deeper in the bilayer without significantly changing the overall depth due to interactions of the charged half-helix …

Synthesis And Self-Assembling Properties Of Carbohydrate- And Diarylethene-Based Photoswitchable Molecular Gelators, Pramod Aryal, Joedian Morris, Surya B. Adhikari, Jonathan Bietsch, Guijun Wang

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Carbohydrate-based low-molecular-weight gelators are interesting new materials with many potential applications. These compounds can be designed to include multiple stimuli-responsive functional groups. In this study, we designed and synthesized several chemically responsive bola-glycolipids and dimeric carbohydrate- and diarylethene-based photoswitchable derivatives. The dimeric glycolipids formed stable gels in a variety of solvent systems. The best performing gelators in this series contained decanedioic and dithienylethene (DTE) spacers, which formed gels in eight and nine of the tested solvents, respectively. The two new DTE-containing esters possessed interesting photoswitching properties and DTE derivative 7 was found to have versatile gelation properties in many solvents, …

S-Type Stars: Line List For The A²Π-X²Σ⁺ Band System Of Lao, P. F. Bernath, R. Dodangodage, J. Liévin

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

LaO bands are found in the spectra of cool S-type stars. The bands of the A²Π–X²Σ⁺ transition with v' ⩽ 3 and v'' ≤ 4 are rotationally analyzed, providing spectroscopic constants for the A²Π state. Line strengths are calculated using an ab initio transition dipole moment function, and radiative lifetimes for the A²Π state have also been computed. A line list for the A²Π–X²Σ⁺ transition of LaO is provided and can be used to determine LaO stellar abundances.

Interactions Of Bioactive Trace Metals In Shipboard Southern Ocean Incubation Experiments, Shannon M. Burns, Randelle M. Bundy, William Abbott, Zuzanna Abdala, Alexa R. Sterling, P. Dreux Chappell, Bethany D. Jenkins, Kristen N. Buck

OES Faculty Publications

In the Southern Ocean, it is well‐known that iron (Fe) limits phytoplankton growth. Yet, other trace metals can also affect phytoplankton physiology. This study investigated feedbacks between phytoplankton growth and dissolved Fe, manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) concentrations in Southern Ocean shipboard incubations. Three experiments were conducted in September–October 2016 near the West Antarctic Peninsula: Incubations 1 and 3 offshore in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, and Incubation 2 inshore in Bransfield Strait. Additions of Fe and/or vitamin B₁₂ to inshore and offshore waters were employed and allowed assessment of metal (M) …

More On The Demons Of Thermodynamics, Daniel P. Sheehan, Garret Moddel, James W. Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Telp Theory: Elucidating The Major Observations Of Rieger Et Al. 2021 In Mitochondria, James Weifu Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The transmembrane-electrostatically localized protons (TELP) theory may represent a complementary development to Mitchell's chemiosmotic theory. The combination of the two together can now excellently explain the energetics in mitochondria. Our calculated transmembrane-attractive force between an excess proton and an excess hydroxide explains how TELP may stay within a 1-nm thin layer at the liquid-membrane interface. Consequently, any pH sensor (sEcGFP) located at least 2–3 nm away from the membrane surface will not be able to see TELP. This feature as predicted from the TELP model was observed exactly in the experiment of Rieger et al., 2021. In contrast to their …

Expanding Our Grasp Of Two-Component Signaling In Clostridioides Difficile, Orlando Berumen Alvarez, Erin B. Purcell

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The intestinal pathogen Clostridioides difficile encodes roughly 50 TCS, but very few have been characterized in terms of their activating signals or their regulatory roles. A. G. Pannullo, B. R. Zbylicki, and C. D. Ellermeier (J Bacteriol 205:e00164-23, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1128/jb.00164-23) have identified both for the novel C. difficile TCD DraRS. DraRS responds to antibiotics that target lipid-II molecules in the bacterial cell envelope, and regulates the production of a novel glycolipid necessary for bacitracin and daptomycin resistance in C. difficile.

Enhancing The Conformational Stability Of The Cl-Par-4 Tumor Suppressor Via Site-Directed Mutagenesis, Samjhana Pandey, Krishna K. Raut, Andrea M. Clark, Antoine Baudin, Lamya Djemri, David S. Libich, Komala Ponniah, Steven M. Pascal

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Intrinsically disordered proteins play important roles in cell signaling, and dysregulation of these proteins is associated with several diseases. Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4), an approximately 40 kilodalton proapoptotic tumor suppressor, is a predominantly intrinsically disordered protein whose downregulation has been observed in various cancers. The caspase-cleaved fragment of Par-4 (cl-Par-4) is active and plays a role in tumor suppression by inhibiting cell survival pathways. Here, we employed site-directed mutagenesis to create a cl-Par-4 point mutant (D313K). The expressed and purified D313K protein was characterized using biophysical techniques, and the results were compared to that of the wild-type (WT). We have …

Potential Interactions Between Diatoms And Bacteria Are Shaped By Trace Element Gradients In The Southern Ocean, Alexa R. Sterling, Laura Z. Holland, Randelle M. Bundy, Shannon M. Burns, Kristen N. Buck, P. Dreux Chappell, Bethany D. Jenkins

OES Faculty Publications

The growth of diatoms in the Southern Ocean, especially the region surrounding the West Antarctic Peninsula, is frequently constrained by low dissolved iron and other trace metal concentrations. This challenge may be overcome by mutualisms between diatoms and co-occurring associated bacteria, in which diatoms produce organic carbon as a substrate for bacterial growth, and bacteria produce siderophores, metal-binding ligands that can supply diatoms with metals upon uptake as well as other useful secondary compounds for diatom growth like vitamins. To examine the relationships between diatoms and bacteria in the plankton (diatom) size class (> 3 mu m), we sampled both …

Isotopic Evidence For Sources Of Dissolved Carbon And The Role Of Organic Matter Respiration In The Fraser River Basin, Canada, Britta M. Voss, Timothy I. Eglinton, Bernhard Peucker-Ehrenbrink, Valier Galy, Susan Q. Lang, Cameron Mcintyre, Robert G.M. Spencer, Ekaterina Bulygina, Zhaohui Aleck Wang, Katherine A. Guay

OES Faculty Publications

Sources of dissolved and particulate carbon to the Fraser River system vary significantly in space and time. Tributaries in the northern interior of the basin consistently deliver higher concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to the main stem than other tributaries. Based on samples collected near the Fraser River mouth throughout 2013, the radiocarbon age of DOC exported from the Fraser River does not change significantly across seasons despite a spike in DOC concentration during the freshet, suggesting modulation of heterogeneous upstream chemical and isotopic signals during transit through the river basin. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations are highest in …

Atmospheric Input And Seasonal Inventory Of Dissolved Iron In The Sargasso Sea: Implications For Iron Dynamics In Surface Waters Of The Subtropical Ocean, Peter N. Sedwick, Bettina M. Sohst, K. N. Buck, S. Caprara, R. J. Johnson, D. C. Ohnemus, L. E. Sofen, A. Tagliabue, B. S. Twining, Tara E. Williams

OES Faculty Publications

Constraining the role of dust deposition in regulating the concentration of the essential micronutrient iron in surface ocean waters requires knowledge of the flux of seawater-soluble iron in aerosols and the replacement time of dissolved iron (DFe) in the euphotic zone. Here we estimate these quantities using seasonally resolved DFe data from the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study region and weekly-scale measurements of iron in aerosols and rain from Bermuda during 2019. In response to seasonal changes in vertical mixing, primary production and dust deposition, surface DFe concentrations vary from ∼0.2 nM in early spring to >1 nM in late summer, …

Ultrasensitive Tapered Optical Fiber Refractive Index, Erem Ujah, Meimei Lai, Gymama Slaughter

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Refractive index (RI) sensors are of great interest for label-free optical biosensing. A tapered optical fiber (TOF) RI sensor with micron-sized waist diameters can dramatically enhance sensor sensitivity by reducing the mode volume over a long distance. Here, a simple and fast method is used to fabricate highly sensitive refractive index sensors based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). Two TOFs (l = 5 mm) with waist diameters of 5 µm and 12 µm demonstrated sensitivity enhancement at λ = 1559 nm for glucose sensing (5-45 wt%) at room temperature. The optical power transmission decreased with increasing glucose concentration due …

Sound The (Smaller) Alarm: The Triphosphate Magic Spot Nucleotide Pgpp, Areej Malik, Megan A. Hept, Erin B. Purcell

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

It has recently become evident that the bacterial stringent response is regulated by a triphosphate alarmone (pGpp) as well as the canonical tetra- and pentaphosphate alarmones ppGpp and pppGpp [together, (p)ppGpp]. Often dismissed in the past as an artifact or degradation product, pGpp has been confirmed as a deliberate endpoint of multiple synthetic pathways utilizing GMP, (p)ppGpp, or GDP/GTP as precursors. Some early studies concluded that pGpp functionally mimics (p)ppGpp and that its biological role is to make alarmone metabolism less dependent on the guanine energy charge of the cell by allowing GMP-dependent synthesis to continue when GDP/GTP has been …

Infrared Spectra Of Small Radicals For Exoplanetary Spectroscopy: Oh, Nh, Cn, And Ch: The State Of Current Knowledge, Svatopluk Civiš, Adam Pastorek, Martin Ferus, Sergei N. Yurchenko, Noor-Ines Boudjema

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

In this study, we present a current state-of-the-art review of middle-to-near IR emission spectra of four simple astrophysically relevant molecular radicals—OH, NH, CN and CH. The spectra of these radicals were measured by means of time-resolved Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the 700–7500 cm⁻¹ spectral range and with 0.07–0.02 cm⁻¹ spectral resolution. The radicals were generated in a glow discharge of gaseous mixtures in a specially designed discharge cell. The spectra of short-lived radicals published here are of great importance, especially for the detailed knowledge and study of the composition of exoplanetary atmospheres in selected new planets. Today, …

Abiotic Stress Mitigation: A Case Study From 21 Trials Using A Natural Organic Matter Based Biostimulant Across Multiple Geographies, Rachel L. Sleighter, Terry Hanson, David Holden, Kristen M. Richards

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Crop productivity and yields can be greatly diminished by abiotic stress events including drought, extreme temperatures, excess moisture, and saline irrigation water. Multiple stressors occurring simultaneously can further exacerbate the strain on plants. Various types of biostimulants have been shown to mitigate abiotic stress and here, the results of 21 trials on corn, wheat, soybean, and various high-value crops are discussed in the context of the abiotic stress that either occurred naturally or was experimentally induced. Treatments in these trials included stressed and non-stressed plants, as well as either an untreated control or grower standard fertilizer applications alone and in …

Reduced Metal Nanocatalysts For Selective Electrochemical Hydrogenation Of Biomass-Derived 5-(Hydroxymethyl)Furfural To 2, 5-Bis(Hydroxymethyl)Furan In Ambient Conditions, Baleeswaraiah Muchharla, Moumita Dikshit, Ujjwal Pokharel, Ravindranath Garimella, Adetayo Adedeji, Kapil Kumar, Wei Cao, Hani Elsayed-Ali, Kishor Kumar Sadasivuni, Naif Abdullah Al-Dhabi, Sandeep Kumar, Bijandra Kumar

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Selective electrochemical hydrogenation (ECH) of biomass-derived unsaturated organic molecules has enormous potential for sustainable chemical production. However, an efficient catalyst is essential to perform an ECH reaction consisting of superior product selectivity and a higher conversion rate. Here, we examined the ECH performance of reduced metal nanostructures i.e., reduced Ag (rAg) and reduced copper (rCu) prepared via electrochemical or thermal oxidation and electrochemical reduction process, respectively. Surface morphological analysis suggests formation of nanocoral and entangled nanowire structure formation for rAg and rCu catalysts. rCu exhibits slight enhancement in ECH reaction performance in comparison to the pristine Cu. However, the rAg …

Thermotrophy Exploratory Study, James Weifu Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The question of whether environmental heat energy could be utilized as a source of energy for biological metabolism is the center of this exploratory research. In 1979, this author postulated a hypothesis for the existence of thermotrophs that could isothermally utilize environmental heat energy as a source of their energy on Earth. According to this hypothesis, the thermotrophs could be the first primitive forms of life in the early Earth environment. The chemotrophs and phototrophs that we currently are all well familiar with might have been evolved somehow from the primitive thermotrophs. Furthermore, all the organisms currently regarded as the …

Halogen Bonding Interactions Of Haloaromatic Endocrine Disruptors And The Potential For Inhibition Of Iodothyronine Deiodinases, Craig A. Bayse

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Halogen bonding (XB) is a potential mechanism for the inhibition of the thyroid-activating/deactivating iodothyronine deiodinase family of selenoproteins through interactions with halogenated endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). Trends in XB interactions were examined using density functional theory for a series of polyhalogenated dibenzo-1,4-dioxins, biphenyls, and other EDCs with methylselenolate, a simple model of the Dio active site selenocysteine. The strengths of the interactions depend upon the halogen (Br>Cl), the degree of substitution, and the position of the acceptor. In terms of donor-acceptor energies, interactions at the meta position are often the strongest, suggesting a link to the topology of THs, …

Synthesis Of A Series Of Trimeric Branched Glycoconjugates And Their Applications For Supramolecular Gels And Catalysis, Jonathan Bietsch, Anji Chen, Dan Wang, Guijun Wang

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Carbohydrate-derived molecular gelators have found many practical applications as soft materials. To better understand the structure and molecular gelation relationship and further explore the applications of sugar-based gelators, we designed and synthesized eight trimeric branched sugar triazole derivatives and studied their self-assembling properties. These included glucose, glucosamine, galactose, and maltose derivatives. Interestingly, the gelation properties of these compounds exhibited correlations with the peripheral sugar structures. The maltose derivative did not form gels in the tested solvents, but all other compounds exhibited gelation properties in at least one of the solvents. Glucose derivatives showed superior performance, followed by glucosamine derivatives. They …