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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Impact Of The Choice Of Acidic Buffers On The Electrochemical Reduction Of Hexavalent Chromium In Water, Devin D. Meche Nov 2022

Impact Of The Choice Of Acidic Buffers On The Electrochemical Reduction Of Hexavalent Chromium In Water, Devin D. Meche

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.


Development Of Quantitative Methods To Study Pfas Using Proton Induced Gamma-Ray Emission, Colin Langton Jun 2022

Development Of Quantitative Methods To Study Pfas Using Proton Induced Gamma-Ray Emission, Colin Langton

Honors Theses

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals that have become a major environmental concern. They can be found in a broad range of everyday products and pose a significant risk to the public due to their adverse health effects. They are persistent, bioaccumulate and do not break down in the environment. This project specifically aims to determine the concentration of Fluorine, a key identifier of PFAS, in environmental samples. To do this, we employ proton induced gamma-ray emission (PIGE) to screen for Fluorine within our samples. PIGE is performed at the Union College Ion Beam Analysis Laboratory using a …


A Study Of Cannabigerolic Acid And Its Derivatives Via Raman Spectroscopy And Density Functional Theory, Trevor Wolfe May 2022

A Study Of Cannabigerolic Acid And Its Derivatives Via Raman Spectroscopy And Density Functional Theory, Trevor Wolfe

Honors Theses

The cannabinoids are a class of molecules endogenous to the cannabis plant. Their scientific relevance has increased in recent years due to the mercurial legal status of marijuana across the United States. Some of the most known are cannabidiol (CBD), δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (δ9-THC), and δ8-THC due in large part to their widespread use, especially in states where marijuana and related products are legal. However, cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) is arguably the most important cannabinoid; it is enzymatically converted into other acidic cannabinoids, which subsequently undergo non-enzymatic processes (isomerization, thermal decarboxylation, oxidation, etc.) to synthesize further cannabinoids. Although there is a wealth of …


Ab Initio Study Of The Rotation Of The C≡C Group In Benzvalyne, Advait Praveen May 2022

Ab Initio Study Of The Rotation Of The C≡C Group In Benzvalyne, Advait Praveen

Honors Theses

For benzvalyne, we have characterized the minima and transition states of the molecule using the B3LYP, MP2, and M06-2X methods and aug-cc-pVTZ basis set. This was done by calculating the energy of the molecule while rotating the alkyne bond contained within it. After the initial rotation, optimized parameters for the molecule are found. Following this, imaginary frequencies were attempted to be found at the local maximum produced by the graph of the Energy v. rotation angle. Should the negative frequencies be found, the energy of the molecule will be characterized by the CCSD (T) method and aug-cc-pVQZ basis sets. This …


Synthetic Investigations In Chemical Probe Development Part 1: Design And Synthesis Of Novel Triton X-405 Adenosine Conjugates; Part 2: Synthesis Of 2,8-Dihydroxychrysene, Rachel Irene Hammond May 2022

Synthetic Investigations In Chemical Probe Development Part 1: Design And Synthesis Of Novel Triton X-405 Adenosine Conjugates; Part 2: Synthesis Of 2,8-Dihydroxychrysene, Rachel Irene Hammond

Honors Theses

Although not drugs themselves, chemical probes are a necessary tool in biomedical research for the interrogation of biological systems. In the present synthetic investigation, two chemical probes were developed – a Triton X-405 adenosine conjugate (TX-405A) and 2,8-dihydroxychrysene. The designed TX-405A conjugate was generated in four steps through tosylation and amination of TX-405 such that EDC-coupling of TX-amine with 2’,3’-Isopropylidene adenosine-5’-carboxylic acid afforded TX-405A following acetonide deprotection. The development of TX-405A represents the first report of the synthesis and utilization of a detergent-linked dosimeter. The synthesis of 2,8-dihydroxychrysene provided an in-depth exploration on the unique reactivity of chrysene. The desired …


Covalent Modification Of Recombinant Protein With Reactive Thiols, Sawyer Dulaney, Bailey Taylor May 2022

Covalent Modification Of Recombinant Protein With Reactive Thiols, Sawyer Dulaney, Bailey Taylor

Honors Theses

Many diseases cause chronic and painful inflammation in different body systems. One of the front-line drug classes to treat such inflammation is Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). Despite the benefits of oral administration of NSAIDs, there are drawbacks to their long-term usage because they can cause detrimental effects on off-target systems in the body such as the liver, kidney, or the lining of the intestinal tract. An alternative to NSAIDs is the usage of hydrogels for targeted drug delivery. Hydrogels can provide drug delivery in a specific portion of the site of inflammation, thus allowing higher doses of medication to be …


The Design Of A Pcr-Based Assay To Detect And Isolate The Serine Palmitolytransferase Gene From Environmental Bacteria, Lana Taylor May 2022

The Design Of A Pcr-Based Assay To Detect And Isolate The Serine Palmitolytransferase Gene From Environmental Bacteria, Lana Taylor

Honors Theses

Sphingolipids are a natural class of lipids that function as structural elements of cell membranes and signaling molecules for important cellular activities such as cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, recognition, and adhesion. These lipids can be found universally in eukaryotic cells as well as some species of bacteria, such as those found in the human gut microbiome and in the environment in soils. Though sphingolipid production is rare in bacteria, both eukaryotic and prokaryotic sphingolipid biosynthesis begin with the condensation of serine and palmitoyl CoA into 3-ketodihydrosphingosine catalyzed by the enzyme serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT). In recent years, several studies have shown …


Synthesis And Characterization Of Organometallic Complexes For Biological Imaging, Emily Stumbo May 2022

Synthesis And Characterization Of Organometallic Complexes For Biological Imaging, Emily Stumbo

Honors Theses

Luminescent transition metal complexes are of interest for biological imaging applications due to their unique photophysical properties including large Stokes shift, long fluorescence lifetimes, and tunable emission. Altering ligand structure is a useful way to manipulate the charge transfer (CT) and mixed character states that give these complexes their photophysical properties. A series of organometallic complexes containing ligands with externally facing nitrogens has been prepared and synthesized. Complexes of the form Pt (II)(tbbpy)(C2-py), Re(CO)3(N^N), Ir(C^N)2(N^N), and Ir(C^N)2(N^O) have been studied for their potential application as biological imaging agents. The goal of this project is to compare the properties of these …


Theoretical Studies Of Benzoquinone Reactivity In Acidic And Basic Environments, Natali Majoras May 2022

Theoretical Studies Of Benzoquinone Reactivity In Acidic And Basic Environments, Natali Majoras

Honors Theses

Quinones are a class of organic compounds containing a six-membered unsaturated ring with two carbonyl groups. They are biologically relevant mostly due to their ability to participate in redox reactions. Prior experiments in our lab showed that quinones can induce protein modifications that are pH dependent. In an acidic environment the modifications were less significant than in a basic environment. Previous computational studies have also been carried out to model, in neutral solutions, the reaction between various quinones and various amines. Various amine groups are used as a model for the amino group of lysine to represent protein modification. The …


Synthesis And Study Of Unsymmetrical Bidentate Bis(Phosphino)Pyrrole Ligands And Their Transition Metal Complexes, Julia F. Vidlak Apr 2022

Synthesis And Study Of Unsymmetrical Bidentate Bis(Phosphino)Pyrrole Ligands And Their Transition Metal Complexes, Julia F. Vidlak

Honors Theses

Our laboratory has reported the synthesis and characterization of a broad library of unsymmetrical bidentate bis(phosphino)pyrrole (BPP) ancillary ligands for use in nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. The electronic and steric properties of nickel complexes bearing these ligands are examined, and our data support the hypothesis that these ligands produce nickel complexes with electron-deficient metal centers. The syntheses of (BPP)Ni(o-tolyl)Cl precatalysts for utilization in nickel-catalyzed Buchwald-Hartwig Amination are described, and preliminary reactivity studies reveal that (BPP)Ni(o-tolyl)Cl precatalysts are effective in promoting C–N cross-coupling reactions. Finally, we report steric measurements and electronic properties obtained from computed (BPP)NiCl2 and (BPP)Ni(CO)2 complexes, respectively. Additional reactivity …


Synthesis And Characterization Of Silver Thione Complexes, Audrey V. Lawrence Apr 2022

Synthesis And Characterization Of Silver Thione Complexes, Audrey V. Lawrence

Honors Theses

Coordination polymers are repeating units of a coordination complex that have applications as catalysts, conductors, and magnets. In this work, silver (I) was the metal of choice because it behaves similarly to copper (I), which has been studied much more extensively and thione ligands were chosen due to their potential for forming coordination polymers. These coordination complexes with silver were synthesized by combining silver nitrate with thioacetamide, N,N'-diphenylthiourea, and 2-mercapto-1-methylimidazole. These complexes were characterized via IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and X-ray crystallography. Silver thioacetamide was determined to form a coordination complex through the sulfur to form a trigonal crystal lattice …


Collision-Induced Dissociation And Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry Of Au30(S-Tbu)18 Nanoclusters, Christopher Hood Apr 2022

Collision-Induced Dissociation And Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry Of Au30(S-Tbu)18 Nanoclusters, Christopher Hood

Honors Theses

Collision Induced Dissociation (CID) and Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry (IM-MS) are methods used to understand the structural arrangement and stability of large molecules. In this study, the gold nanocluster Au30(S-tBu)18 was dissociated at varying Trap collision energies, and drift time vs mass spectrometry data was plotted to determine the order of cluster fragmentation. Comparing Au30(S-tBu)18 data to that of Au25(SCH2CH2Ph)18, the only current nanocluster published with IM-MS data, two distinctly different dissociation patterns were seen. Unlike the linear CID fragmentation of Au …


Synthesis And Characterization Of Redox-Active Multidentate Ligands For Catalytic C-H Bond Oxidation And Carbon Dioxide Reduction, Caroline Hodge Apr 2022

Synthesis And Characterization Of Redox-Active Multidentate Ligands For Catalytic C-H Bond Oxidation And Carbon Dioxide Reduction, Caroline Hodge

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on two research projects. The first project reported in Chapter 1 involves the synthesis and application of a tetradentate ligand (2-(1,1-di(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl)-1,10-phenanthroline, PhenPY2Me) that is metalated with iron to give a catalyst capable of carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bond oxidation. C-H bond oxidation provides a method that may allow some transformations in organic syntheses to be streamlined. The mononuclear iron complex supported by PhenPY2Me was found to dimerize in the presence of O2 in a non-coordinating solvent. These iron complexes and a previously reported system were assessed and compared in C-H bond oxidation with model substrates using the sacrificial …


Observing Reactive Events At The Aqueous Graphene Oxide Interface Using Deep Neural Network Potentials, Lukas Kim Apr 2022

Observing Reactive Events At The Aqueous Graphene Oxide Interface Using Deep Neural Network Potentials, Lukas Kim

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.


Mathematica Assessment Of Spatial Reasoning Development After Virtual Reality Collaboration, Arthur Odenheimer Apr 2022

Mathematica Assessment Of Spatial Reasoning Development After Virtual Reality Collaboration, Arthur Odenheimer

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.


Microwave-Assisted Synthesis Of Quinoxaline Derivatives, Eric Horsting Apr 2022

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis Of Quinoxaline Derivatives, Eric Horsting

Honors Theses

Quinoxaline and its derivatives have been studied extensively for their relevant biological activity and transition metal selectivity. These compounds are commonly used for their antimicrobial, antifungal, antiparasitic activity, and relevance in the treatment of metabolic diseases [6]. More recently, quinoxaline’s ability to inhibit gram-positive bacterial growth has been found especially in oxygen- containing compounds, yielding promising candidates to prevent cancerous tumor growth [5]. The breadth of quinoxaline makes it a valuable tool within the research community However, its synthesis requires complex solvents, extended reaction times, and often produces a low yield. By using a microwave-assisted synthesis, this novel methodology offers …


Expression And Purification Of Tag-Free Chlamydia Trachomatis Scc4 For Improved Nmr Structural Studies, Peter Howard Apr 2022

Expression And Purification Of Tag-Free Chlamydia Trachomatis Scc4 For Improved Nmr Structural Studies, Peter Howard

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.


Attempted Synthesis & Antibacterial Properties Of Apt-6k Against Ndm-1 K. Pneumoniae, Alec Bofetiado Mar 2022

Attempted Synthesis & Antibacterial Properties Of Apt-6k Against Ndm-1 K. Pneumoniae, Alec Bofetiado

Honors Theses

NDM-1 K. pneumoniae is a highly resistant bacterial organism that is capable of causing debilitating nosocomial infections in immunocompromised patients. Only "last-resort" antibiotics--such as colistin--work against this organism. Therefore, new antibiotics are needed to help fight against these types of infections. APT-6K is a novel compound that was demonstrated to be effective against MRSA with nanomolar concentrations in a prior study. Novel methods of APT-6K synthesis and its testing for antibiotic effects against NDM-1 K. pneumoniae were attempted in this research. APT-6K synthesis was unsuccessful. Commercially-prepared APT-6K also did not demonstrate growth inhibition against NDM-1 K. pneumoniae nor against a …


Electron-Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy Of Mgo And Aluminum-Doped Mgo, Elise Liebow Mar 2022

Electron-Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy Of Mgo And Aluminum-Doped Mgo, Elise Liebow

Honors Theses

Radiation is a form of energy that can damage materials at an atomic level. This has implications for the mobility of radioactive waste through containment materials. We are characterizing atomic defects in materials by using Electron-Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (EPALS). When an electron and positron come into contact with each other, they annihilate and release two antiparallel 511-keV gamma rays. In a pristine crystalline sample, positrons can easily annihilate with electrons, but in a sample with vacancies/defects in the crystal structure, positrons take longer to annihilate. Therefore, the more vacancies in a sample, the longer the average lifetime of a …


Analyzing The Free Energy Of Ions Sampling A Voltage Gated Sodium Ion Channel, Isabel Varghese Jan 2022

Analyzing The Free Energy Of Ions Sampling A Voltage Gated Sodium Ion Channel, Isabel Varghese

Honors Theses

Voltage gated sodium ion channels are implicated in cardiac diseases, seizures, etc., and they play a role in maintaining ionic homeostasis in cells. Computational studies use prokaryotic model because they are simpler but function similarly to human voltage gated sodium ion channels. This study uses molecular dynamics (MD) to study three specific questions regarding voltage gated sodium ion channels of Magnetococcus marinus. The first question in this study is how the free energy of sodium diffusion compares to that of calcium ion diffusion. We were not able to find any physically significant information due to poor sampling and a lack …