Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Poly-3-Hexylthiophene Nanorods As A Donor For Organic Photovoltaics, Dharmesh Patel

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Poly-3-hexylthiophene functionalized silsesquioxane nanorods (P3HT-NRs) were prepared by direct hydrolysis and condensation of P3HT-silane precursor using the modified Stöber method. The silane precursor was stirred in a mixture of two solvents in the presence of a base under room temperature for three different reaction times. The size, shape, and morphology of these novel nanostructures were visualized using the transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The composition of the P3HT-NRs was confirmed by FTIR and its silane by proton NMR. Future work will focus on evaluating photovoltaic performance of these nanorods as a donor for organic photovoltaics.

Reaction Rates Of Amino Acids With Derivatives Of The Anticancer Drug Cisplatin, Celia Jess Whelan

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

We are studying reactions of cisplatin derivatives, which differ in both size and shape, with various amino acids. When reaction with DNA occurs, apoptosis is observed, ideally leading to termination of the cancer. Due to the affinity of cisplatin for sulfur-containing amino acids, reaction with proteins may occur prior to access to the DNA, producing a large array of products, which could potentially be toxic to the human body. Both the size and shape of the platinum complexes often affect the reactions with protein targets more so than with DNA targets. By performing reactions of specific amino acids targets with …

Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Newsletter (Fall 2014), Cheryl Stevens, Dean

Ogden College of Science & Engineering Publications

No abstract provided.

Antimicrobial Nanoparticles: A Green And Novel Approach For Enhancing Bactericidal Efficacy Of Commercial Antibiotics, Monic Shah

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

On the verge of entering the post-antibiotic era, numerous efforts are in place to regain the waning charm of antibiotics which are proving ineffective against most “Superbugs”. Engineered nanomaterials, especially gold nanoparticles (GNPs) capped with antibacterial agents, are proving to be an effective and novel strategy against multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria. In this study, we report a one-step synthesis of antibioticcapped GNPs (25 ± 5 nm) utilizing the combined reducing and capping ability of a cephalosporin antibiotic, ceftazidime. No signs of aggregation or leaching of ceftazidime from GNP surface was observed upon its storage. Antibacterial testing showed dosedependent broad spectrum …

Selective Oxidations By Iron(Iii) Porphyrins And Iron(Iii) Corroles, Aaron Dalnamath Carver

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The selective oxidation of organic compounds represents a leading technology for chemical industries. They are used in chemical synthesis in the pharmaceutical and petrochemicals industries, and possible the decontamination of harmful substances. However, oxidations reaction are among the most challenging processes to control. Many stoichiometric oxidants with heavy metals are expensive, or toxic maybe both, and therefore unfeasible to be utilized. The ideal processes for catalytic oxidation would use molecular oxygen or hydrogen peroxide as the primary oxygen source, with transition metal catalysts to mimic the predominant oxidation catalysts in Nature, the cytochrome P450 enzymes. This study focuses on the …

Green Synthesis And Evaluation Of Catalytic Activity Of Sugar Capped Gold Nanoparticles, Yogesh A. Kherde

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Owing to the importance of gold nanoparticles in catalysis, designing of them has become a major focus of the researchers. Most of the current methods available for the synthesis of gold nanoaprticles (GNPs) suffer from the challenges of polydispersity, stability and use of toxic and harmful chemicals. To overcome these limitations of conventional methods, in our present study, we made an attempt to design a method for the green synthesis of monodispersed and stable gold nanoparticles by sugars which act as reducing and stabilizing agent. Characterization of synthesized nanoparticles was done by using various analytical techniques such as transmission electron …

Mechanochemistry: Pyrene Derivatives In The Detection Of Select Metals, Hillary Asberry

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Metals are found naturally in the environment and expelled through industrial waste. When absorbed through the skin, inhaled, or ingested, many metals have been proven to cause numerous health problems. Mechanochemistry using a mortar and pestle grinding shows promise in capture and detection of toxic metals. This method allows for an on-site, cost effective, simple, solvent free, and environmentally friendly metal coordination. Pyrene derivatives with diethylenetriamine and bis(3-aminopropyl)amine linkers have shown to be successful fluorescent receptors serving as a Lewis bases in the reactions. After coordination, color changes are observed in visible light and UV light. Metal salts that exhibit …

Mercury Bioaccumulation In Bat Populations In Mammoth Cave National Park: Modern, Historical, And Ancient Samples, Stephanie Hagan

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The first human to enter Mammoth Cave passed under its arch about 4,000 years ago, but bats have been calling it home long before humans discovered it. Due to environmental exposure of mercury, these bats potentially show substantial mercury bioaccumulation. Bats now come into contact with mercury through atmospheric deposition from industrial sources. It is expected that the modern bats residing in Mammoth Cave should have measurable levels of mercury in their system which has been determined by guano analysis. Over fifty current samples of bat guano have been analyzed and exhibit mercury levels at the part per billion level. …

Herbal And Holistic Medicine In Latin America, William H. Lyle

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

A variety of herbal and holistic remedies were used in pre-Columbian cultures, especially in Aztec and Incan cultures. Many different herbs were used to provide medical attention to patients directly, while other herbs were used to supplement shaman^[1] medicine, which was particularly common in Inca culture. While there is little scientific basis for shamanism, as a viable healing option in modern culture, most herbal remedies had active chemical ingredients that could be or are used today to treat similar symptoms, and, in some cases, are being applied in different scenarios as well. The methods of usage, active chemicals, and …

Laser Intensity And Ionic Strength Dependence Of The Aqueous Nitrate And Carbonate Ion Raman Spectra, Samuel White

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The geometry (and hence vibrational modes) of aqueous nitrate ion, NO₃^-, is known to depend on the solution composition—concentration, counter ions, etc. If a definite relationship between the vibrational spectrum and ionic strength of the solution could be established, it could be a useful monitor of solution composition over time. This would be valuable in studying the reaction rates and mechanisms of reactions involving nitrate in an aqueous environment, such as its photolysis in snow. Previous work in our lab observed a split peak at the symmetric-stretch mode of nitrate, though this mode does not usually show …

Analysis Of No And Noy In The Low Atmosphere At Mammoth Cave National Park, Jessica Hall

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxides of nitrogen (NO_y) are pollutants produced by automobiles and formed naturally from nitrate ions (NO₃^-). We are interested in the natural processes and anthroprogenic sources of NO and NO_y. To better understand NO and NO_y trends in the atmosphere, data from Mammoth Cave National Park (MCNP) was analyzed. The rural location of MCNP leads to the hypothesis that the natural sources of NO to be studied without anthropogenic sources significantly contributing to the overall levels. NO is correlated with factors such as solar radiance and precipitation. …

The Analysis Of Experimental Error In Parity Violation Experiments With Polarized Neutrons, Jonathan Serpico

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Measurements of parity symmetry violation in nuclear reactions with polarized neutrons can provide valuable information on hadronic weak interaction. We have conducted an analysis of experimental error in the measurement of the parity violating eect in the n3He experiment. several experimental parameters have been optimized to minimize statistical error using numerical simulations. An analysis of systematic error due to diferential cross-section dependence on energy as well as on false parity conserving asymmetries was also conducted. Our results suggest that the proposed parameters of the experiment will suficiently suppress all sources of error under consideration. Furthermore, these approaches may be effectively …

Laboratory Scale Study Of Calcium Sulfate Hydration Forms, Sandeep Kumar Kuthadi

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research is part of an ongoing project to create gypsum wallboards with enhanced fire resistance. The main goal of this research is to better understand the dehydration properties of calcium sulfate dihydrate, and the hydration of calcium sulfate hemihydrate as well as anhydrous calcium sulfate. The lab-scale kinetics of these processes were studied using thermogravimetric analysis and sorption analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the products from different processes. In addition to the instrumental studies, small batches were handled in ovens and liquid slurries to better mimic the real world processing of …

Comparative Studies On Standard And Fire-Rated Gypsum Wallboards., Harika Javangula

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The long term goal of this research is to improve the fire resistance of gypsum wallboard (GWB). Gypsum wallboard consists mainly of gypsum, i.e. calcium sulfate dihydrate, CaSO₄•2H₂O. In buildings, the chemical, mechanical and thermal properties of gypsum wallboard play an important role in delaying the spread of fire. To build a fire resistant GWB, it is very important to study the thermal, mechanical, physical and chemical properties of regular GWB and various types of fire-resistant wallboards available commercially in the market. Various fire-resistant GWBs have been compared and contrasted with reference to a standard wallboard …

Electrically Controlled Formation And Release Of Admicelles For Solid Phase Extraction, Sukyeon Lee

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Solid phase extraction is one of the most widely used methods to concentrate diluted compounds in a solution. Substances can be extracted into admicelles and hemimicelles, which are surface adsorbed micelles and surfactant monolayers, respectively. Investigations of the electrical control of surfactants on surfaces for the purpose of analyte preconcentration prior to chromatographic analysis are presented. The surfactant layer serves as the “stationary phase” in a solid phase extraction sorbent scenario. Analytes are adsorbed on this layer, and then released from the solid phase via surfactant removal. The attachment and removal of the surfactant are controlled by means of an …

Enhancing The Photovoltaic Performance Of P3ht/Pdib Silsesquioxane Donor-Acceptor System Using Spray Deposition Fabrication Technique, Venkata Ramana Manda

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In the past few years, the solution-processed organic based solar cells gained more importance by meeting the demands for cost effective photovoltaic devices. To date, the focus of the organic photovoltaic devices has been on the optimization of the processing the materials to improve photo conversion efficiency and also by modifying the active components of the organic materials. Recently, it has been recognized that the deposition techniques also plays a major role in enhancing the power conversion efficiencies. Currently, though the most common deposition technique for organic solar cells is spin coating, which does not allow scaling up of the …

Thermal Analysis Of Binding Of Organic Pollutants To Titanium Dioxide, Shashidhar Annarapu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Conventional waste water treatment processes are not completely effective in removing highly stable organic compounds. Photocatalytic degradation on titanium dioxide is a possible alternative technique for many classes of these compounds. Several studies have been done by other researchers to study mechanisms of photocatalytic degradation, which occurs either through direct oxidation by holes or via indirect oxidation by radical messengers. Titanium dioxide can oxidize substrates directly through hole oxidation mechanisms or indirectly through free radical mechanisms. Substrates must bind onto the catalyst surface to undergo direct oxidation by holes. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was performed on four different classes of compounds; …

Removal Of Arsenic Using Iron Coated Limestone, Anitha Swarna

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Arsenic contamination in drinking water is a severe problem worldwide. The best way to prevent hazardous diseases from chronic arsenic exposure is to remove the exposure. Efforts to remediate arsenic in drinking water have taken two tracks. One is to provide surface or shallow well water sources as an alternative to the arsenic contaminated deep wells. Another approach is to remove arsenic from the contaminated water. Different removal technologies like oxidation, chemical coagulation, precipitation, adsorption and others are available. There are problems and benefits associated with each of these approaches that can be related to cultural, socio-economic and engineering influences. …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Some Thallium Salt Complexes, Levi Dopierala

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research into conductive organic and organometallic polymers began in 1977 when Heeger, Macdiarmid, and Shirakawa first doped polyacteylene with Iodine. They found that this doping granted the polymer metallic properties increasing conductivity by 11 orders of magnitude.[1] Unfortunately, polyacteylene is highly air-sensitive making it difficult to work with and limiting its applications. Therefore, current research is focused on synthesizing new organic and organometallic conductive polymers. The drive to discover these new polymers stems from their application flexibility and their low production cost.

Reported here is the synthesis of novel organometallic polymer precursors. Lead by Dr. Chad Snyder a library of …

Investigation Of The Addition Of Basalt Fibres Into Cement, Jahi Palme

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Mechanical properties of concrete are most commonly determined using destructive tests including: compression, flexure, and fracture notch specimen tests. However, nondestructive tests exist for evaluating the properties of concrete such as ultrasonic pulse velocity and impact echo tests. One of major issues with concrete (which has cement as its prime ingredient) is that unlike steel it is quasi-brittle material. It tends to want to crack when tensile stresses develop. Fibres have been added to concrete for many years to reduce the amount of and size of cracks cause by temperature changes or shrinkage. In more recent years, significant research has …

Synthesis Of Perylenediimide-Functionalized Silsesquioxane Nanostructures, Lan Xu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Organic semiconductors functionalized nanostructures are becoming as promising materials for electronic device applications including organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Perylenediimide (PDI) derivatives have also been known as one of the best n-type organic semiconductors. PDI derivatives can form bulk materials, which are both photochemically and thermally stable and have been widely used in various optoelectronic devices. Due to the formation of high electron mobility of crystalline domains, they prefer to incorporate into a silsesquioxane network. Here, we describe the potential applicability of perylenediimide functionalized silsesquioxane nanoribbons (PDI-dimethyl nanoribbons) as an acceptor for optoelectronic devices. We have developed synthetic procedures to make the …

Selective Oxidations By Metalloporphyrins And Metallocorroles, Tse-Hong Chen

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Highly reactive transition metal-oxo intermediates are important active oxidant involved in numerous enzymes such as cytochrome P450 monooxygenases as well as in many useful metal-catalyzed oxidations. Many transition metal catalysts are designed for biomimetic studies of the predominant oxidation catalysts in Nature, the cytochrome P450 enzymes. In this work, a series of metalloporphyrin and metallocorrole complexes have been successfully synthesized and spectroscopically characterized by UV-vis, GCMS and ¹H-NMR. The utilization of these complexes as catalysts for selective oxidation of sulfides and photocatalytic aerobic oxidations of activated hydrocarbons were investigated. Ruthenium(II) porphyrin complexes (2) and iron(III) corrole complexes (4) with …

Functionalization And Modification Of Naphthaquinone Analogs As Her2 Kinase Inhibitors, Divya Jyothi Lella

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

HER2 overexpression in breast cancer tumors predicts lower overall survival. Because of the aggressive nature of HER2 tumors and the association with metastatic disease, the HER2 receptor holds great promise as a therapeutic target in metastatic breast cancer. We are developing small molecule inhibitors that bind to the ATP binding site of the tyrosine kinase domain in order to inhibit tyrosine auto-phosphorylation. This process controls biological pathways that mediate the cell growth. In normal cells this process is highly controlled. We are targeting the modification of the side chain of the hydroxy methyl group of 2-Hydroxy methyl-5,8-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthaquinone. These compounds should …

Green's Functions Of Discrete Fractional Calculus Boundary Value Problems And An Application Of Discrete Fractional Calculus To A Pharmacokinetic Model, Sutthirut Charoenphon

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Fractional calculus has been used as a research tool in the fields of pharmacology, biology, chemistry, and other areas [3]. The main purpose of this thesis is to calculate Green's functions of fractional difference equations, and to model problems in pharmacokinetics. We claim that the discrete fractional calculus yields the best prediction performance compared to the continuous fractional calculus in the application of a one-compartmental model of drug concentration. In Chapter 1, the Gamma function and its properties are discussed to establish a theoretical basis. Additionally, the basics of discrete fractional calculus are discussed using particular examples for further calculations. …

Tetracyclines In Swine Waste, Natalie Kaye Jones

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Antibiotics are added to animal feeds as prophylactic agents and to encourage weight gain in livestock. However, there is concern that the widespread use of antibiotics in animal agriculture encourages for the selection of resistance genes and has contributed to the rise of multiply antibiotic resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria. For this reason, there is interest in quantifying antibiotics in environmental samples. The determination of three antibiotics in swine waste, namely chlortetracycline, tetracycline and oxytetracycline, using LC-MS with electrospray ionization is presented here in. Antibiotics from swine waste were quantified across the lifespan of the swine. Trends were present in …