Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Development Of Gamma-Modified Atp Analogs To Study Kinase-Catalyzed Phosphorylations, Ahmed Eid Fouda

Wayne State University Dissertations

Kinase-catalyzed protein phosphorylation is one of the most important post-translational modifications that controls cascades of biochemical reactions. Irregularities in phosphorylation result in many diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, Parkinsons, and cancer. The development of new methods to monitor kinase-catalyzed phosphorylation is needed to decipher details of normal and diseased cell signaling. The Pflum lab recently developed several -modified ATP analogs to study kinase catalyzed phosphorylation reactions. The -modified ATP analogs have different tags, such as biotin for substrate labeling or aryl-azide for kinase substrates identification. Unfortunately, use of -modified ATP analogs was limited to in vitro studies due to the …

Novel Approaches For Assessment Of Copper Toxicity: Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry And Optical Bioassays, Annette R. Tremonti

Wayne State University Dissertations

Anthropogenic activities negatively impact fresh water ecosystems through toxic contaminants that are released into the environment. Copper (Cu) is a water contaminant that is fundamentally persistent once introduced into the environment that has the potential for bioaccumulation. Although Cu toxicity has been studied for decades, there is still a continuing problem with new sources and pathways. New approaches are needed to understand distribution and transport of Cu and its potential for complex biological impacts beyond the simple assessment of lethality. Several novel approaches were used in this research project to advance our understanding of Cu toxicity, including fast scan cyclic …

Design Of First-Row Transition Metal Bis(Alkoxide) Complexes And Their Reactivity Toward Nitrene And Carbene Transfer, James Bellow

Wayne State University Dissertations

The novel alkoxide ligand [OCtBu2Ph], or [OR], was synthesized in a single step as a lithium salt. It was then reacted with a series of first-row transition metal(II) halides, with widely varying results. Upon reaction with chromium, manganese, iron, or cobalt(II) chloride, dimeric complexes of the form M2(OR)4Li2Cl2 were formed, which displayed rare seesaw geometry at the metal. This unusual geometry was confirmed by various spectroscopic and computational studies. Computational studies also indicate that the steric bulk of the ligand, as well as the inclusion of lithium atoms in the molecules, are what lead to the seesaw geometry. Reaction of …

Europium(Ii)-Containing Complexes For Responsive Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Levi Alexander Ekanger

Wayne State University Dissertations

The research projects described in this dissertation are focused on studying the oxidation of EuII-containing complexes within the context of responsive MRI. Prior to this research, EuII had not been explored within the context of oxidation-responsive MRI nor had the use of this ion been reported in vivo. The results of these studies enable predictions about the oxidation-responsive behavior of EuII-containing complexes in vitro and in vivo.

The EuII-containing cryptate 1.33 was used to evaluate EuII-based positive contrast enhancement after intravenous, intraperitoneal, and subcutaneous injections. The transitory behavior of the positive contrast enhancement correlated with reported levels of oxygenation and …

Synthesis Of Apramycin And Paromomycin Derivatives As Potential Next Generation Aminoglycoside Antibiotics And Chemistry Of Isothiocyanato Sialyl Donors, Appi Reddy Mandhapati

Wayne State University Dissertations

AGAs are clinically important antibacterials for human therapy and have long been used as highly potent antibiotics for treating several bacterial infections. The fidelity of protein synthesis is affected by AGAs in the course of binding to specific sites of the bacterial rRNA. The clinical use of AGAs and their applications as therapeutics is restricted by toxicity (irreversible ototoxicity and reversible nephrotoxicity) and by the resistance of pathogens. The objective of this research was the development of proficient AGAs that are less toxic (i.e., more selective) and that evade resistance. The first three chapters of this thesis are aimed towards …

Synthesis And Heteroallene Reactivity Of Bis(Aldimino)Pyridine Nickel Complexes In Four Different Oxidation States, Blake Reed

Wayne State University Dissertations

A series of redox non-innocent bis(aldimino)pyridine ligands were synthesized. These were then reacted with nickel(II) salts to form Ni[NNN]X2 complexes. Cyclic voltammograms of these nickel(II) complexes suggest that more reduced states can be achieved. Reduction of these nickel(II) complexes lead to distorted square planar complexes with the halide bent ~20° out of the plane. EPR suggests that spin density is located on the metal as g-values of >2.01 were obtained. This differs from previously reported analogous bis(ketimino)pyridine complexes, which show a ligand-based radical and nickel(II). DFT confirms that as the Npyr-Ni-X angle decreases, spin density on the nickel increases. Because …

How Geometric Distortions Scatter Electronic Excitations In Conjugated Macromolecules: Towards Photoinduced Relaxation And Energy Transfer, Tian Shi

Wayne State University Dissertations

The exciton scattering (ES) approach has been developed to study electronic excitations in large branched conjugated molecules. It attributes excited states to standing waves in the quasi-one-dimensional system by assuming a quasi-particle picture of optical excitations. Tight binding models extend capability of the ES approach to investigate the exciton-phonon coupling.

The topological counting method plays a substantial role in constructing tight binding models. It depicts the ES equations as a topological intersection problem. Then, by applying the index theorem, we can get the total number of excited states, which is equal to the number of repeat units plus topological charges …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Transition Metal Phosphide Nanoparticles For Catalytic Applications: Model Catalysts For Hydrodesulfurization And Electrocatalysts For The Oxygen Evolution Reaction, Don Malinda Ruchira Liyanage

Wayne State University Dissertations

Transition metal phosphides are emerging as efficient catalysts for different processes. Although binary phases have been extensively studied recently researchers have explored the synergism afforded by bimetallic ternary transition metal phosphides. The conventional catalyst preparation methods (temperature programmed reduction or solvothermal synthesis) yield inhomogeneous samples, preventing a detailed understanding of how active site density impacts catalytic activity and mechanism. In contrast, solution-phase arrested-precipitation reactions produce uniform nanoparticles with an excellent control on size, morphology and composition.

This dissertation describes the synthesis of ternary transition metal phosphide nanoparticles (Ni2-xCoxP and Ni2-xRuxP) by solution-phase arrested-precipitation reactions and evaluation of their composition-dependent catalytic …

Use Of 17o-Nmr Spectroscopy To Study The Coordination Chemistry Of Trivalent Lanthanide Ions In Solution, Zhijin Lin

Wayne State University Dissertations

Trivalent lanthanide (Ln3+)-containing complexes have a number of important applications in molecular imaging, catalysis, medical diagnosis, information storage, and environmental sensing. The properties of Ln3+-containing complexes that are useful for these applications are influenced by coordination chemistry, including the number of coordinated ligands and ligand-exchange rates. The coordination numbers for water molecules bound to Eu3+ and Tb3+ have been studied by luminescence-decay measurements; however, the coordination numbers of other important oxygen-containing functional groups such as ketones, esters, ethers, sulfonyls, amides, phosphine oxides, and aldehydes have not been as thoroughly studied in solution because of the lack of hydroxyl groups that …

New Chemistry For The Growth Of First-Row Transition Metal Films By Atomic Layer Deposition, Joseph Peter Klesko

Wayne State University Dissertations

Thin films containing first-row transition metals are widely used in microelectronic, photovoltaic, catalytic, and surface-coating applications. In particular, metallic films are essential for interconnects and seed, barrier, and capping layers in integrated circuitry. Traditional vapor deposition methods for film growth include PVD, CVD, or the use of plasma. However, these techniques lack the requisite precision for film growth at the nanoscale, and thus, are increasingly inadequate for many current and future applications. By contrast, ALD is the favored approach for depositing films with absolute surface conformality and thickness control on 3D architectures and in high aspect ratio features. However, the …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Properties Of Peroxo-Based Oxygen-Rich Compounds For Potential Use As Greener High Energy Density Materials, Nipuni-Dhanesha Horadugoda Gamage

Wayne State University Dissertations

One main aspect of high energy density material (HEDM) design is to obtain greener alternatives for HEDMs that produce toxic byproducts. Primary explosives lead azide, lead styphnate, and mercury fulminate contain heavy metals that cause heavy metal poisoning. Leaching of the widely used tertiary explosive NH4ClO4 into groundwater has resulted in human exposure to ClO4– ions, which cause disruptions of thyroid related metabolic pathways and even thyroid cancer. Many research efforts to find replacements have gained little success. Thus, there is a need for greener HEDMs. Peroxo-based oxygen-rich compounds are proposed as a potential new class of greener HEDMs due …

New Approaches To Chalcogenide Materials For Thermoelectrics: Lead Telluride-Based Nanostructures And Facile Synthesis Of Tetrahedrite And Doped Derivatives, Derak Justin James

Wayne State University Dissertations

The overall purpose of this work is to address several of the roadblocks to use of thermoelectric materials for generation of electricity, namely inefficient processing of materials and low performance, commonly rated by the figure of merit, ZT=T2/tot. The ZT includes  as the Seebeck coefficient,  as electrical resistivity, T as the average temperature, and tot as total thermal conductivity. tot is the sum of electronic charge carrier (C) and lattice (L) contributions to thermal conductivity. Attempts to increase ZT in the literature to values >1 have focused on decreasing the thermal conductivity via nanostructuring or optimizing the electrical …

The Development Of Peptide Ligands To Target H69 Rrna, Danielle Nicole Dremann

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEPTIDE LIGANDS TO TARGET H69

by

DANIELLE NICOLE DREMANN

December 2015

Advisor: Prof. Christine S. Chow

Major: Chemistry (Biochemistry)

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

In the development of peptide ligands to target H69, SPPS and ESI MS was used to determine if 1) peptides could bind to modified H69 and 2) if increased affinity for the target RNA could be enhanced with modification. An alanine and arginine scan was synthesized and tested for this determination. Selected peptides were then tested using biophysical techniques such as circular dichroism and isothermal titration calorimetry. An assay was also designed to …

A Novel, Ultra-Fast Electrochemical Tool To Study Speciation Of Trace Metals In Aqueous Solution, Pavithra Pathirathna

Wayne State University Dissertations

Trace metals play important roles in biological and ecological systems. In biology, trace metals act as catalytic or structural cofactors and regulate biochemical processes. In the environment, natural and anthropogenic sources of trace metals mobilized into natural waters where they can create harmful and persistent pollution. Trace metal chemistry in physiological and environmental systems can fluctuate rapidly which makes it difficult to clearly define trace metals’ roles in these systems with traditional analytical methods. Furthermore, these systems are often chemically harsh and physically delicate (e.g. the brain), factors that add to the challenge of analysis in real systems. Fast scan …

Studies Toward A Detailed Understanding Of The Intrinsic Properties Of Nucleic Acid Constituents: Gas-Phase Conformations, Energetics, And Glycosidic Bond Stability, Ranran Wu

Wayne State University Dissertations

The gas-phase conformations of the protonated forms of the nucleic acid constituents: nucleosides and mononucleotides, were characterized by infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) action spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. The IRMPD spectroscopy experiments were performed using a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS) coupled to a free electron laser or a OPO/OPA laser system to measure the IRMPD action spectra over the IR fingerprint and hydrogen-stretching regions.

Theoretical calculations were performed using both mechanic dynamics and high level quantum chemical calculations to optimize structures, compute vibrational frequencies and IR intensities, and to obtain the relative stabilities of optimized …

Development Of Single And Array Electro-Chemical Sensors For Real-Time Trace Metal Analysis In Aqueous Environmental Media, Yuanyuan Yang

Wayne State University Dissertations

Detection of trace metals has great importance in environmental and biological applications. While traditional electrochemical techniques have played critical roles in this field, their usefulness is limited by temporal resolution, Hg toxicity and stability concerns. Recently, we developed a method using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) at carbon-fiber microelectrodes (CFMs) to achieve rapid measurement of metal ions with high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. Through optimizations this method showed strengths in real-time trace metal analysis. ‬‬‬‬‬‬

‪Analytical selectivity was improved via covalent functionalization on CFMs. We employed diazonium electrochemical reduction followed by click chemistry to create robust covalent attachments. We showcased its …

Studying The Atp Cosubstrate Promiscuity Of Nucleotide And Lipid Kinases, Thilani Murium Anthony

Wayne State University Dissertations

The kinase family consist of a large assortment of enzymes that phosphorylate a variety of substrates, including proteins, nucleosides, polynucleotides, lipids, sugars, and other small molecules. The Pflum lab recently found that protein kinases promiscuously accept an ATP analog containing a biotin at the γ-phosphate (ATP-biotin) as a cosubstrate to label the hydroxyl side chains of Ser, Thr and Tyr residues with biotin. The main goal of this new project is to extend the use of kinase-catalyzed biotinylation towards polynucleotides. Crystallographic studies of T4 polynucleotide kinase (T4 PNK) that phosphorylates the 5’-hydroxyl termini of DNA and RNA show a solvent …

Synthesis Of Dinucleating Ligands And Their Dinuclear Metal Complxes:Applications In Sensing And Small Molecule Activation, Jeffrey William Beattie

Wayne State University Dissertations

Dinuclear metal complexes provide a route to interesting structure and reactivity. Two common uses of dinuclear metal complexes are sensing and activation of small molecules. Herein we describe a series of dinuclear metal complexes capable of sensing of oxalate and activation of carbon disulfide.

Sensing of oxalate is of great interest because high oxalate concentration (hypooxaluria) is a major cause of kidney stones. Dinuclear metal complexes can act as sensors for oxalate because the oxalate can bridge between the metal centers. Herein we describe a colorimetric oxalate sensor capable of regeneration. Upon addition of oxalate to a pink solution of …

State Resolved Sliced Imaging Of Infrared Multiphoton Dissociation, Ravin Lakshitha Fernando

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on unimolecular dissociations of molecules under colissionless conditions with IRMPD. IRMPD was used as the dissociation technique in these studies since roaming type dissociations predominates from the ground electronic state. DC slice imaging was used with REMPI as the detection technique to study the products in a state selective manner to understand the nano scale dynamics of unimolecular dissociations. In the investigation of photodissociation dynamics of nitromethane and methyl nitrite with IRMPD, nitromethane show very low translational energy release of the photofragments and resemble the “roaming” pathway in the dissociation of nitromethane. The difference in the intensities …

Electron Transfer Studies In Langmuir-Blodgett Films Of Metallosurfactants For Current Rectification, Corrosion Mitigation, And Water Oxidation, Sunalee Gonawala Jayasundara Mudiyanselage

Wayne State University Dissertations

The work presented in this dissertation is focused on the design and synthesis of new redox-active amphiphilic architectures to optimize and understand the redox, electronic, and film formation properties for applications in current rectification, corrosion mitigation, and water oxidation. As such, new redox-active, and amphiphilic iron(III), cobalt(III), nickel(II), copper(II), and zinc(II) complexes were synthesized as precursors for Langmuir-Blodgett films used for the aforementioned applications.

For the use in molecular rectification, amphiphilic copper(II) and nickel(II) complexes with [N2O2] ligand environment were synthesized. Homogeneous film formation ability was observed between ~20-25 mN/m pressure, with a film collapse observed at ~35 mN/m for …

Crossed Beam Imaging Of The Reaction Dynamics Of Halogen Atoms With Selected Hydrocarbons, Yuanyuan Shi

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation presents results of applying dc slice imaging in crossed molecular beams to probe the dynamics of the reactions of halogen atoms (chlorine and fluorine) with polyatomic hydrocarbons and alcohols such as deuterated propanes, butane isomers, pentane, alkenes and propanol. The full velocity-flux contour maps of the radical products were measured with 157nm single photon ionization at various collision eneriges. Secondary and tertiary abstractions were found in Cl with normal and deuterated propanes and butane isomers and show distinct differences. The differences were explained in terms of the nature of abstraction sites, energy disposal of the radical product, and …