Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Reducing Disposable Plastic Waste From Protein Quantitative Assays, Justin Buiter

All Capstone Projects

Protein concentration quantification is important for many areas of biology and biochemistry. This quantification happens in large quantities in laboratories and needs to be done accurately and quickly. The Bradford assay is one of the most common ways of accomplishing this task (1). This assay relies on the binding of the protein and the Coomassie Blue G250 dye. The anionic blue form binds to the protein and has a maximum at 595 nm. This allows for accurate quantification by reading how much of the sample absorbs at 595 nm (2).

In 2014, it was estimated that 5.5 million tons of …

Literature Search For Extraction And Characterization Of Fragrant Compounds From Ten Flowering Plants, Ember Smith

All Capstone Projects

This capstone literature project conducted a literature search on the extraction of essential oils from the leaves of ten different flowering plants using steam distillation and/or solvent extraction methods. Additionally, the project focused on characterizing and identifying the fragrant compounds present in the essential oils of these ten plants. By conducting a comprehensive literature search, this project provides a summary of the methods employed for extraction and the composition of fragrant compounds in each essential oil. A diverse range of fragrant compounds were found in various plants and flowers, including major and minor compounds such as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, terpenes, …

Autodocking Studies Of Oxygenated Fullerenes As Inhibitors Of The Hiv Protease, Michael Kaminski

All Student Theses

In a previous study, several oxygenated fullerene compounds were produced by ozonation of C60 (Buckminsterfullerene) and were identified by elemental analysis and by SALI (surface analysis by laser ionization). Some of these compounds, especially a batch, SK-5, a mixture of C60O1-8, were shown to inhibit activities of HIV-Protease with IC50 (concentration for 50% inhibition) of 1 mg/mol in the in-vitro studies. The oxygenated fullerenes were shown to have epoxide, ketones, and hydroxyl functionalities. As expected, C60 interacted with ozone with alkene functionality and not as an aromatic compound. It was postulated that C60O had epoxide functionality, as a product of …

Bond Valence Sum Analysis On Compounds Prepared By Topochemical Manipulation, Yasmin Dayeh

All Capstone Projects

The Bond Valence theory of Brown (1978) has been extensively used to correlate metal oxidation state to coordination environment in solids. Although the bond valence sum (BVS) appears to be extremely useful to coordination chemists, it has not often been applied as an alternative measure of refinement quality. In this work, previously reported six layered perovskite compounds including, RbLaNb2O7, Rb2LaNb2O7, Rb2SxLaNb2O7 (x ≤ 0.8), NaLaNb2O7, (Cs2Cl)LaNb2O7, and (FeCl)LaNb2O7, that have been prepared by topochemical manipulation and their structures have been determined by Rietveld refinements were analyzed. Our focus was to explore whether the determination of oxidation state using the bond …

50 Years Of Student Research At Governors State University, Shailendra Kumar

Research Days

The three pillars that provide the foundations for the excellent education at GSU are teaching, research, and service. Faculty and students have engaged in myriad of research activities since the inception of GSU in 1969. This presentation highlights the efforts, successes, and triumphs of students research in the last fifty years. Prior to 1995, students engaged in research, published in journals, and presented their work in professional conferences. A formal forum in the form of an Annual GSU Student Research Conference was introduced in 1995 by the Provost Office to provide students to present their research work before an audience …

Characterization Of Fragrant Chemical Components Of Essential Oils Of Lavender, Violet, And Bergamot By Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Akeem Babalola Opakunle

Chemistry Theses

The characterization of fragrant chemical composition of commercial samples of lavender, violet and bergamot essential oil were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. The analysis led to the characterization of a total of 28 compounds for lavender oil, 17 compounds for violet oil, and 11 compounds for bergamot oil. The commercial sample of lavender essential oil has shown to be abundant in linalool, (21.40%), linalyl acetate (18.96%), trans-β- ocimene (7.41%), endo-borneol (6.53%), β-ocimene (6.43%), geranyl acetate (6.15%), β-myrcene (5.88%), terpinen-4-ol (5.70%) and cis-β-farnesene (4.40%). For commercial sample of violet essential oil, the major components in abundant were α-longipinene (37.35%), …

Determination Of Iron Content In Water, Sreenivasareddy Annem

All Capstone Projects

An easy, efficient and safe method was developed to determine iron in water samples. The method is an Iron Cell Test kit from Spectroquant in which firstly all iron ions are reduced to iron (II) ions by ascorbic acid. In a thioglycolate buffered medium, iron (II) reacts with a triazine derivative to form a purple complex that is determined photometrically. Calibration curve of iron standards was done with concentrations of 0.50, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 ppm and it gave a R2 value of 0.9989 and straight line equation y=0.4749x-0.046. Iron analysis was done on two sets of water samples. …

Method Development For Analysis A Of Phthalates S By Hplc, Uma Ranganadham

All Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is to develop an analytical method for determining the concentration of dialkyl phthalates as part of a larger study of phthalate degrading bacteria. Specifically, bacteria isolated from polyaromatic hydrocarbon contaminated riverine sediment are being determined for their proficiency in degrading dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, and dibutyl phthalate." HPLC instrument was used for analysis of these phthalate derivatives. A reversed phase isocratic and gradient elution and UV detection method was used for the individual and simultaneous determination of these phthalate derivatives. HPLC was carried out using a C18 column and spectrophotometric detection at 230nm. An isocratic …

Preparation Of Au/Ag Nanoshells Through A Galvanic Replacement Reaction, Elizabeth Maschmeyer

All Capstone Projects

It generally requires solid metal templates of hollow metal structures with uniform morphology by the present galvanic replacement mediated-growth approaches. In this project report, we present a new and simple approach for the controllable synthesis of Au/Ag alloy nanoshells (NSs) by applying galvanic replacement reaction on hollow Ag template in the presence of gold salt. High quality thiol-coated spherical shape Au/Ag NSs were produced via this new synthetic approach and the hollow interior of the Ag template is very well preserved during the galvanic replacement reaction. Plasmonic property measurements reveal that Au/Ag NSs exhibit strong absorption peak and more importantly, …

Synthesis Of Au/Ag, Pd/Ag And Pt/Ag Nanoparticles By Galvanic Replacement Reaction, Sunnith Kumar Admala

All Capstone Projects

In recent years, galvanic replacement reactions have been successfully employed to produce bimetallic nanoparticles of a range of shapes, yet to date very few efforts have been devoted to develop methods for synthesizing smaller (<10nm) M/Ag; M=Au, Pt, Pd alloy particles using Ag hollow particles as sacrificial template. In this research work, we investigated new approach for the controllable synthesis of Au/Ag, Pd/Ag, and Pt/Ag alloy nanoparticles by applying galvanic replacement reaction on hollow Ag template in the presence of gold, palladium, and platinum salts. According to TEM analysis, the sizes of Au/Ag, Pd/Ag, and Pt/Ag alloy particle are 7.0±1.6 nm, 6.0±1.2 nm, and 3.0±0.8 nm, respectively. According to the study of optical property measurements on Ag hollow samples with increasing Au, Pt, and Pd content, it was observed that surface plasmon resonance peaks of the Au/Ag particles prepared with higher concentrated HAuCl4 solutions absorb at longer wavelengths and are red-shifted compared to the surface plasmon resonance of Ag hollow template. In the case of adding K2PdCl4 to Ag hollow sample resulted in blue shift of surface Plasmon resonance peaks for initial addition of palladium salt and further addition of K2PdCl4 caused the Plasmon peaks to diminish. Interestingly, our attempt to make Pt/Ag particle by reacting Ag hollow particles with various amounts of K2PtCl4 revealed that resulting alloy particles could still exhibit surface Plasmon resonance peaks for higher Pt content. Usually Pt and Pd nanoparticles do not exhibit surface plasmon resonance peaks in the visible spectrum. This work provides a model for a design of M/Ag; M=Au, Pt, Pd alloy particles, where combining Ag hollow samples with increasing amounts of Au, Pt, and Pd can provide successful execution of tenability of surface plasmon resonance.

Manipulating The Optical Properties Of Hollow Pd/Ag And Pt/Ag Nanoparticles Synthesized By Galvanic Replacement Reaction, Salvador Alcantar

All Capstone Projects

Considerable efforts have recently been devoted to the fabrication of metallic nanostructures on account of their tunable morphologies which can lead to new and fascinating optical properties. These properties of a metallic nanostructure are most determined by their size, shape, composition and structure. Hollow metallic nanostructures have attracted much interest as their surface plasmonic properties and catalytic activities are completely different from those of solid nanoparticles. Galvanic replacement reaction (GRR) was known to be a powerful synthetic technique for converting solid metal nanostructures into hallow ones. These hollow nanostructures have high specific surface area, low density, use less material and …

Purification And Analysis Of A Pteroic Acid Conjugate, Naveen Kumar Ganji

All Capstone Projects

(FR) is overexpressed on the cell membrane in cancer tissues and activated macrophages associated with rheumatoid conditions. However, FR is restricted in normal healthy tissues. Folic acid has shown high affinity to folate receptors and thus can be used in targeting the tumor cells. Folic acid residue, pteroic acid is also used in several studies that are involved in targeting cancer cells. Several examples include technetium -99m radiotracer labelled pteroyl-lys conjugates, pteroic acid-conjugated nitroheterocyclic phosphoramidates..

In this project, we were successfully able to conjugate pteroic acid with polyethylene Glycol-Amine to create an elegant building block(pte-PEG-amine) for synthesis of future imaging …

Synthesis And Analysis Of Folate Histidine, Alexander Kampner

All Capstone Projects

A compound was specifically designed to further aid research on the detection and treatment of folate receptor positive cancer cells. A small but complex peptide chain was commercially produced to have a flexible glycine spacer and a six-histidine tag. Histidine tagging was chosen for its ability to bind to nickel. The compound in this report was purified and analyzed by HPLC and confirmed via mass spectrometry. This binding capacity and the ability of folate conjugates to bind to cancer cell receptors have both been explored for the past quarter of a century [1-3]. Folate conjugates have been successfully used as …

Quantitative Analysis Of Acetylsalicylic Acid By Q-Nmr (Quantitative-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy), Charles Flemming Jr.

All Student Theses

Quantitative analysis is an important step during pharmaceutical drug development. Currently, the pharmaceutical industry uses high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for quantitative analysis of organic compounds as the preferred technique. The proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique has an inherent ability to quantify a given analyte and may be used to quantify organic compounds. Quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (q-NMR) of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) was conducted using tert-butyl alcohol (tert-butanol) as the internal standard and deuterated chloroform (CDCl₃) as the solvent. Preparations of ASA solutions in low and high concentration ranges, 1.0 mM – 10.1 …

Analysis Of An Ion Suppression Device Coupled With An Ion Chromatography System, Sam John

All Capstone Projects

A priority of chromatographers is to eliminate extraneous and errant noise that can interfere with any experiment. The goal is to focus on what is being analyzed, and in the case of detectors, modifying the instrument being utilized is the method of choice. One way to do that in ion chromatography (IC) is through the use of a suppressor.

Though not all instruments utilized in IC are equipped with suppressors, it is ideal to help reduce the ions already known to be present in the eluent. The premise of this study is simple in nature, but important in its application. …

Folate-Peg-Histidine For Use In Detection, Capture, And Analysis Of Fr+ Cells, Sean Dwyer

All Capstone Projects

Folate receptor alpha is a membrane-bound protein displaying high affinity for folic acid. This receptor serves as a receptor-mediated transport system of folic acid into cancer and cells associated with inflammation (e.g., macrophages). Folate is a basic component of cell metabolism in both the synthesis of DNA and proteins, which is hypothesized to be necessary for maintaining adequate processes during increased metabolic demand. Interestingly, most normal cells in the body have little or no high affinity folate receptor alpha. Based on these attributes, folate based drug delivery, imaging systems, and diagnostic systems are in several stages of development worldwide. To …

Feasibility Study Of Waste Isolation And Characterization By Instrumental Methods, Janith A. Wiehe-Wazio

All Capstone Projects

The original focus of this project was to develop an in house procedure for the recovery of commonly used science laboratory solvents consisting of Acetone, Ethyl (Ethanol) Alcohol, Hexane, Methanol and Hydrochloric Acid from everyday laboratory waste. However, the projects scope shifted a little further back to basics when it was discovered that Laboratory Waste Safety and Accounting practices were insufficient. It was assumed that identification of waste products was being recorded accurately. It became apparent with the very first waste bottle analysis that chemicals recorded on the standardized waste log sheets were not always what was in the waste …

Tandem Mass Spectrometric Analysis Of Phosphoamino Acid-Metal Ion Complexes, Urmi Patel

All Capstone Projects

The complex of phosphoamino acid with metal ions was prepared by mixing both solutions and analyzed using ESI MS/MS technique. In this study, O-phospho-L-serine and O-phospho-L-tyrosine were used as phosphoamino acids and single charged metal ions such as Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+ and Ag+ were used to study the dissociation patterns when combined with phosphoamino acid. The complexes were successfully fragmented in mass spectra using ESI MS/MS technique and the fragmentation products were studied and the dissociation patterns were proposed.

Determining % Proliss 100 In Keratin Mousse Using Iodine Solution Method, Quiana Moore

All Capstone Projects

The objective of this experiment is to quantitatively determine the amount of active raw material Proliss 100 manufactured and supplied by a formulation company. The goal is to reproduce the percent of Proliss in Keratin Mousse production sample provided to consumers and provide measurements to be used to assess the accuracy of production with comparison to provided percent formulation for each batch. An iodine solution titration method was performed for this experiment due to the reduction-oxidation reactivity of the Proliss 100. This experiment is still undergoing further testing due to the confidentiality agreement between the manufacturer and formulator.

Phosphorus Measurements In Aqueous Media Using Inorganic Phosphorus Sources As Compared To Organic Sources And Resulting Complications, Robert Underhile

All Student Theses

The phosphorus moiety that exists in both inorganic and organic molecules has significant importance. Phosphorus serves as nutrient, a plant building block, a control agent for pests (both plant and insect), and can be an inadvertent cross contaminant in herbicide production, and is often seen as an environmental pollutant. As a cross contaminant, samples suspected of containing the phosphorus moiety are traced to the source of manufacture. Upon suspicion of the source, serious consequences for the manufacturer can develop including loss of relationships, heavy fines and legal matters. Quantitation of phosphorus is not straightforward. Phosphorus can be present in the …

Analysis Of Tyrosine And Its Halogenated Forms And Tripeptide –Metal Ion Clusters Using Mass Spectrometry, Bharathi Gannamani

All Capstone Projects

Chapter 1:

The aim of this research project was to measure the differences in proton affinities of tyrosine and its halogenated forms, 3-chlorotyrosine and 3-iodotyrosine. Tandem mass spectrometry was used here to measure the proton affinities. These amino acids were formed as protonated dimers with amino acids of known proton affinity and were introduced into the instrument through electrospray ionization (ESI). Based on the intensities of the protonated amino acids appeared in the mass spectrum when the dimer was isolated and fragmented, the proton affinities of the sample amino acids were calculated.

Chapter 2:

The research project was on mass …

Green Chemistry, Mary Lynn Koster

All Capstone Projects

In the academic year of 2014-2015, Governors State University will be accepting and enrolling freshman into the university. Therefore, the chemistry department will be offering general chemistry for the first time in its history. Now is the time to introduce the concept of Green Chemistry. Green Chemistry is not a new class but a philosophy that the department or at least the individual experiments within a lab course needs to looks at. There are 12 Principles of Green Chemistry:

1. Prevention
2. Atom Economy
3. Less Hazardous Chemical Syntheses
4. Designing Safer Chemicals
5. Safer Solvents and Auxiliaries
6. Design for Energy Efficiency
7. Use of Renewable …

The Kinetic Method: Determination Of Proton Affinity Of Proline By Cis And Trans Hydroxylation, Vinod Kanchi

All Capstone Projects

Unknown Proton affinity (PA) of the amino acids were determined by comparing them with known PA of the reference standards. Initially we mixed 2 amino acids together [unknown (PA) and known (PA)] and introduce into mass spectrometer using direct infusion. After injecting we observe the peaks. The protonated dimer peak of known PA and unknown PA samples were isolated and fragmented. Once they were fragmented protonated dimer will produce two peaks corresponding to amino acid with unknown PA and amino acids with known PA. Based on the ratio of these amino acids we determine the unknown PA of an amino …

Folate Targeted Agents For Diagnostic And Therapeutic Uses, Mekeda Carr

All Capstone Projects

Folic acid has been frequently exploited for target therapies geared toward overexpressed folate receptors on malignant cells. The folic acid/folate-receptor high affinity interaction can be used to not only target but image cancer cells. Folate-linked nanoparticles represent a potential new drug carrier for tumor cell-selective therapeutics. Folate targeting, nanoparticles in therapeutics, and cancer cell imaging will be outlined in this literature report.

Method Development And Analysis For Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products In Surface Water, Victoria Ruelas

All Capstone Projects

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCP) in surface waters is a worldwide concern. Effluent from waste water treatment plants have tested positive for PPCP. Method development for a liquid chromatographic method was derived using columns with fused core technology. Analysis of spiked samples as direct injection and after solid phase extraction indicated detection of acetaminophen, caffeine, bisphenol-A and triclosan. Confirmation of acetaminophen, caffeine, bisphenol-A and triclosan was achieved using Agilent 1100 HPLC with Agilent MST Trap XCT. Solid phase extraction using Oasis HLB indicated reproducibility at 0.05ppm.

The Determination Of Mercury Levels In Aquatic Avian Populations Using Atomic Spectroscopy Techniques, Peter M. Klaeser

All Capstone Projects

Mercury contamination has been shown to have a negative impact in fish-eating birds, including impacts on behavior, reproductive success, and their overall survival. Higher than normal mercury levels have been detected in birds who depend on fish for their food. High levels of mercury have been detected in the bird’s blood and feathers using analytical techniques. The present accepted method of determining levels of mercury in feathers and blood is the use of atomic spectroscopy. The amount of mercury in feathers appears to depend on the growth of the feathers with more growth associated with lower levels of mercury contamination. …

Uhplc In The Analysis Of Drug Components, Rana Chandra Sekhar Reddy Pulagam

All Capstone Projects

The main objective of this article is to highlight the new trends that have emerged in the enhancement of the HPLC which have given rise to the use of UHPLC. This innovative tool is much more reliable and effective as compared to HPLC, in the investigation of many chemical compounds. In this article, special insight is given on the changes that have been made with regards to both instruments. In this article focus is also placed on the implementation of UPLC in various fields of interest, in order to enhance the processes for which it is utilized. The pros and …

Development Of Method For Detection Of Lead In Samples Collected From Keweenaw Peninsula Mines, Michigan In Collaboration With Environmental Biology Research Students, Sindhu Reddy Aaireddy

All Capstone Projects

Mining is one of the most important industries and a main cause of global pollution due to release of heavy metals into air, water, and soil. Some of these elements are persistent in the environment for years and bioaccumulation in living organisms causing toxic effects. Such elements are known as PBTs (persistent, bioaccumulate and toxic). The nature of toxicity depends on the properties, size of population exposed to it and period of exposure. For this reason, we are interested in developing a method to detect heavy metals in soil samples, mine tailings, plant and animal samples collected from surroundings of …

Study And Identification Of Environmental Nanoparticles In Governors State University (Gsu's) Agricultural Fields, Ekta Desai

All Capstone Projects

Main purpose of this project is to study nanoparticles in Governors State University’s agricultural field and design experimental protocol for the same. Nanoparticles have one dimension that measures between 1 - 100 nanometers or less. Nanoparticles are widely used in day to day life such as in medicines, textiles, manufacturing and cosmetics. Due to their wide use, they can enter environment through many ways such as accidental spills during handling. Waste water treatment plant disposal serves as a main source of their entrance into the environment. Analysis of nanoparticles in environmental samples presents a number of challenges, including separation and …

Folic Acid And Its Receptors, Jacqueline Spreadbury

All Capstone Projects

Folic acid, also known as folate or vitamin B9, is essential for various functions in the human body and life as we know it. Folate is the compound that occurs naturally in food, and folic acid is the synthetic form of this vitamin. Chemically speaking, folic acid has the hydrogen (H+) attached to the compound whereas folate is the conjugate, having lost the hydrogen (H+). Structure, Functions of Folate, Folic Acid in Bacteria, Folate Receptors, and Folic Acid Receptor in Macrophages are discussed in this literature review project. (abstract by OPUS staff)