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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

A Boron Difluoride Hydrazone (Bodihy) Polymer Exhibits Aggregation-Induced Emission, Alexander E. R. Watson, Joe Gilroy, Daniela Cappello Dec 2020

A Boron Difluoride Hydrazone (Bodihy) Polymer Exhibits Aggregation-Induced Emission, Alexander E. R. Watson, Joe Gilroy, Daniela Cappello

Chemistry Publications

Polymers that exhibit aggregation-induced emission (AIE) find use, for example, as cell-imaging agents and as fluorometric sensors due to their unique optical properties. However, the structural diversity of AIE-active polymers has not necessarily advanced at the same rate as their applications. In this work, ring-opening metathesis polymerization is used to synthesize the first example of a polymer (Mn = 61,600 g mol‒1, Đ = 1.32) containing boron difluoride hydrazone (BODIHY) heterocycles in its repeating unit. The BODIHY monomer and polymer described absorb and emit in the visible region in solution (λabs = 428 and 429 nm, …


Unspecified Verticality Of Franck-Condon Transitions, Absorption And Emission Spectra Of Cyanine Dyes, And A Classically Inspired Approximation, Joseph D. Alia, Joseph A. Flack Nov 2020

Unspecified Verticality Of Franck-Condon Transitions, Absorption And Emission Spectra Of Cyanine Dyes, And A Classically Inspired Approximation, Joseph D. Alia, Joseph A. Flack

Chemistry Publications

The computed vertical energy, Ev,a/f, from the equilibrium geometry of the initial electronic state is frequently considered as representative of the experimental excitation/emission energy, Eabs/fl = hc/λmax. Application of the quantum mechanical version of the Franck–Condon principle does not involve precise specification of nuclear positions before, after, or during an electronic transition. Moreover, the duration of an electronic transition is not experimentally accessible in spectra with resolved vibrational structure. It is shown that computed vibronic spectra based on TDDFT methods and application of quantum mechanical FC analysis predict Eabs = hc/λmax …


Cationic Boron Formazanate Dyes, Benjamin D. Katzman, Paul D. Boyle, Viktor N. Staroverov, Joe Gilroy, Ryan R. Maar Nov 2020

Cationic Boron Formazanate Dyes, Benjamin D. Katzman, Paul D. Boyle, Viktor N. Staroverov, Joe Gilroy, Ryan R. Maar

Chemistry Publications

Incorporation of cationic boron atoms into molecular frameworks is an established strategy for creating chemical species with unusual bonding and reactivity but is rarely thought of as a way of enhancing molecular optoelectronic properties. Using boron formazanate dyes as examples, we demonstrate that the wavelengths, intensities, and type of the first electronic transitions in BN heterocycles can be modulated by varying the charge, coordination number, and supporting ligands at the cationic boron atom. UV‐vis absorption spectroscopy measurements and density‐functional (DFT) calculations show that these modulations are caused by changes in the geometry and extent of π‐conjugation of the boron formazanate …


Near-Infrared Boron Difluoride Formazanate Dyes, Francis L. Buguis, Ryan R. Maar, Viktor N. Staroverov, Joe Gilroy Nov 2020

Near-Infrared Boron Difluoride Formazanate Dyes, Francis L. Buguis, Ryan R. Maar, Viktor N. Staroverov, Joe Gilroy

Chemistry Publications

Near-infrared (NIR) dyes are sought after for their utility in light harvesting, bioimaging, and light-mediated therapies. Since long-wavelength photoluminescence typically involves extensive p-conjugated systems of double bonds and aromatic rings, it is often assumed that NIR dyes have to be large molecules that require complex syntheses. We challenge this assumption by demonstrating that facile incorporation of tertiary amine groups into readily available 3-cyanoformazans affords efficient production of relatively simple NIR-active BF2 formazanate dyes (λabs = 691−760 nm, λPL = 834−904 nm in toluene). Cyclic voltammetry experiments on these compounds reveal multiple reversible redox waves linked to the …


Delineating Heme-Mediated Versus Direct Protein Oxidation In Peroxidase-Activated Cytochrome, Victor Yin, Derek Holzscherer, Lars Konermann Oct 2020

Delineating Heme-Mediated Versus Direct Protein Oxidation In Peroxidase-Activated Cytochrome, Victor Yin, Derek Holzscherer, Lars Konermann

Chemistry Publications

Oxidation of key residues in cytochrome c (cyt c) by chloramine T (CT) converts the protein from an electron transporter to a peroxidase. This peroxidase-activated state represents an important model system for exploring the early steps of apoptosis. CT-induced transformations include oxidation of the distal heme ligand Met80 (MetO, +16 Da) and carbonylation (LysCHO, -1 Da) in the range of Lys53/55/72/73. Remarkably, the 15 remaining Lys residues in cyt c are not susceptible to carbonylation. The cause of this unusual selectivity is unknown. Here we applied top-down mass spectrometry (MS) to examine whether CT-induced oxidation is catalyzed by heme. …


Transesterification Of Poly(Ethyl Glyoxylate): A Route To Structurally Diverse Polyglyoxylates, Rebecca E. Yardley, Amir Rabiee Kenaree, Xiaoli Liang, Elizabeth R. Gillies Oct 2020

Transesterification Of Poly(Ethyl Glyoxylate): A Route To Structurally Diverse Polyglyoxylates, Rebecca E. Yardley, Amir Rabiee Kenaree, Xiaoli Liang, Elizabeth R. Gillies

Chemistry Publications

Polyglyoxylates are a class of self-immolative polymers that depolymerize in solution and the solid state. The glyoxylic acid degradation product is a metabolite in the glyoxylate cycle and can also be processed in the liver in humans, making polyglyoxylates attractive for applications in the environment and in medicine. Although expanding the scope of available polyglyoxylates would enable new properties and applications, highly pure glyoxylate monomers are required for polymerization, and this level of purity is difficult to achieve for many potential monomers. To address this challenge, we report here the 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD)-catalyzed post-polymerization transesterification of poly(ethyl glyoxylate) (PEtG) as a …


Deciphering Tip-Enhanced Raman Imaging Of Carbon Nanotubes With Deep Learning Neural Networks., Usant Kajendirarajah, María Olivia Avilés, François Lagugné-Labarthet Aug 2020

Deciphering Tip-Enhanced Raman Imaging Of Carbon Nanotubes With Deep Learning Neural Networks., Usant Kajendirarajah, María Olivia Avilés, François Lagugné-Labarthet

Chemistry Publications

Recent release of open-source machine learning libraries presents opportunities to unify machine learning with nanoscale research, thus improving effectiveness of research methods and characterization protocols. This paper outlines and demonstrates the effectiveness of such a synergy with artificial neural networks to provide for an accelerated and enhanced characterization of individual carbon nanotubes deposited over a surface. Our algorithms provide a rapid diagnosis and analysis of tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy mappings and the results show an improved spectral assignment of spectral features and spatial contrast of the collected images. Using several examples, we demonstrate the robustness and versatility of our deep learning …


Thermoresponsive Self-Immolative Polyglyoxylamides., Amir Rabiee Kenaree, Quinton E. A. Sirianni, Kyle Classen, Elizabeth R. Gillies Aug 2020

Thermoresponsive Self-Immolative Polyglyoxylamides., Amir Rabiee Kenaree, Quinton E. A. Sirianni, Kyle Classen, Elizabeth R. Gillies

Chemistry Publications

Thermoresponsive polymers with lower critical solution temperatures (LCSTs) are of significant interest for a wide range of applications from sensors to drug delivery vehicles. However, the most widely investigated LCST polymers have nondegradable backbones, limiting their applications


Formation Of Gaseous Proteins Via The Ion Evaporation Model (Iem) In Electrospray Mass Spectrometry., Elnaz Aliyari, Lars Konermann Aug 2020

Formation Of Gaseous Proteins Via The Ion Evaporation Model (Iem) In Electrospray Mass Spectrometry., Elnaz Aliyari, Lars Konermann

Chemistry Publications

The mechanisms whereby protein ions are released into the gas phase from charged droplets during electrospray ionization (ESI) continue to be controversial. Several pathways have been proposed. For native ESI the charged residue model (CRM) is favored; it entails the liberation of proteins via solvent evaporation to dryness. Unfolded proteins likely follow the chain ejection model (CEM), which involves the gradual expulsion of stretched-out chains from the droplet. According to the ion evaporation model (IEM) ions undergo electrostatically driven desorption from the droplet surface. The IEM is well supported for small precharged species such as Na+. However, it …


Analysis Of Temperature-Dependent H/D Exchange Mass Spectrometry Experiments., Nastaran N Tajoddin, Lars Konermann Jul 2020

Analysis Of Temperature-Dependent H/D Exchange Mass Spectrometry Experiments., Nastaran N Tajoddin, Lars Konermann

Chemistry Publications

H/D exchange (HDX) mass spectrometry (MS) is a widely used technique for interrogating protein structure and dynamics. Backbone HDX is mediated by opening/closing (unfolding/refolding) fluctuations. In traditional HDX-MS, proteins are incubated in D2O as a function of time at constant temperature (T). There is an urgent need to complement this traditional approach with experiments that probe proteins in a T-dependent fashion, e.g., for assessing the stability of therapeutic antibodies. A key problem with such studies is the absence of strategies for interpreting HDX-MS data in the context of T-dependent protein dynamics. Specifically, it has …


Phosphonium Versus Ammonium Compact Polyelectrolyte Complex Networks With Alginate-Comparing Their Properties And Cargo Encapsulation., Tristan D. Harrison, Alexandre J. Salmon, John R. De Bruyn, Paul J. Ragogna, Elizabeth R. Gillies Jul 2020

Phosphonium Versus Ammonium Compact Polyelectrolyte Complex Networks With Alginate-Comparing Their Properties And Cargo Encapsulation., Tristan D. Harrison, Alexandre J. Salmon, John R. De Bruyn, Paul J. Ragogna, Elizabeth R. Gillies

Chemistry Publications

Phosphonium and ammonium polymers can be combined with polyanions to form polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) networks, with potential application in self-healing materials and drug delivery vehicles. While various structures and compositions have been explored, to the best of our knowledge, analogous ammonium and phosphonium networks have not been directly compared to evaluate the effects of phosphorus versus nitrogen cations on the network properties. In this study, we prepared PECs from sodium alginate and poly[triethyl(4-vinylbenzyl)phosphonium chloride], poly[triethyl(4-vinylbenzyl)ammonium chloride], poly[tri(


Benzosiloles With Crystallization-Induced Emission Enhancement Of Electrochemiluminescence: Synthesis, Electrochemistry, And Crystallography, Liuqing Yang, Donghyun Koo, Jackie Wu, Jonathan M. Wong, Tyler Day, Ruizhong Zhang, Harshana Kolongoda, Kehan Liu, Jian Wang, Zhifeng Ding, Brian Pagenkopf Jun 2020

Benzosiloles With Crystallization-Induced Emission Enhancement Of Electrochemiluminescence: Synthesis, Electrochemistry, And Crystallography, Liuqing Yang, Donghyun Koo, Jackie Wu, Jonathan M. Wong, Tyler Day, Ruizhong Zhang, Harshana Kolongoda, Kehan Liu, Jian Wang, Zhifeng Ding, Brian Pagenkopf

Chemistry Publications

Crystallization-induced emission enhancement (CIEE) was demonstrated for the first time for electrochemilunimescence (ECL) with two new benzosiloles. Compared with their solution, the films of the two benzosiloles gave CIEE of 24 times and 16 times. The mechanism of the CIEE-ECL was examined by spooling ECL spectroscopy, X-ray crystal structure analysis, photoluminescence, and DFT calculation. This CIEE-ECL system is a complement to the well-established aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) systems. Unique intermolecular interactions are noted in the crystalline chromophore. The first heterogeneous ECL system is established for organic compounds with highly hydrophobic properties.


Gas Phase Protein Folding Triggered By Proton Stripping Generates Inside-Out Structures: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study., Alexander I M Sever, Lars Konermann May 2020

Gas Phase Protein Folding Triggered By Proton Stripping Generates Inside-Out Structures: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study., Alexander I M Sever, Lars Konermann

Chemistry Publications

The properties of electrosprayed protein ions continue to be enigmatic, owing to the absence of high-resolution structure determination methods in the gas phase. There is considerable evidence that under properly optimized conditions these ions preserve solution-like conformations and interactions. However, it is unlikely that these solution-like conformers represent the "intrinsic" structural preferences of gaseous proteins. In an effort to uncover what such intrinsically preferred conformers might look like, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of gaseous ubiquitin. Our work was inspired by recent gas phase experiments, where highly extended 13+ ubiquitin ions were transformed to compact 3+ species by proton …


Computation Of Atmospheric Concentrations Of Molecular Clusters From Ab Initio Thermochemistry, Tuguldur T. Odbadrakh, Ariel G. Gale, Benjamin T. Ball, Berhane Temelso, George C. Shields Apr 2020

Computation Of Atmospheric Concentrations Of Molecular Clusters From Ab Initio Thermochemistry, Tuguldur T. Odbadrakh, Ariel G. Gale, Benjamin T. Ball, Berhane Temelso, George C. Shields

Chemistry Publications

The computational study of the formation and growth of atmospheric aerosols requires an accurate Gibbs free energy surface, which can be obtained from gas phase electronic structure and vibrational frequency calculations. These quantities are valid for those atmospheric clusters whose geometries correspond to a minimum on their potential energy surfaces. The Gibbs free energy of the minimum energy structure can be used to predict atmospheric concentrations of the cluster under a variety of conditions such as temperature and pressure. We present a computationally inexpensive procedure built on a genetic algorithm-based configurational sampling followed by a series of increasingly accurate screening …


Hierarchical Plasmon Resonances In Fractal Structures, Isobel C. Bicket, Edson P. Bellido, Danielle M. Mcrae, Francois Lagugne-Labarthet, Gianluigi A. Botton Apr 2020

Hierarchical Plasmon Resonances In Fractal Structures, Isobel C. Bicket, Edson P. Bellido, Danielle M. Mcrae, Francois Lagugne-Labarthet, Gianluigi A. Botton

Chemistry Publications

An equilateral triangular prism is used as the fundamental building block to con- struct additive Sierpinski fractals, enabling new surface plasmon resonances (SPR) in the first three generations of Sierpinski triangles, as well as topological intermediaries between generations. The modes are characterized using electron energy loss spectroscopy accompanied by eigenmode calculations and optical finite-difference time domain simulations. The complex fractal geometries present a predictable hierarchy of new resonances, each arising from the previous generational building blocks used to construct the fractal. Intermediate structures break the polarization degeneracy of the equilateral fractals while maintaining a rich multiband spectral response. Engineering defects …


Quantum Chemical Lipophilicities Of Antimalarial Drugs In Relation To Terminal Half-Life, Joseph D. Alia, Sheila Karl, Tyler D. Kelly Mar 2020

Quantum Chemical Lipophilicities Of Antimalarial Drugs In Relation To Terminal Half-Life, Joseph D. Alia, Sheila Karl, Tyler D. Kelly

Chemistry Publications

According to the WHO, artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) have been integral to the recent reduction in deaths due to Plasmodium falciparum malaria. ACT-resistant strains are an emerging problem and have evolved altered developmental stages, reducing exposure of the most susceptible stages to artemisinin drugs in popular ACTs. Lipophilicity, log Kow, is a guide in understanding and predicting pharmacokinetic properties such as terminal half-life which alters drug exposure. Consistent log Kow values are not necessarily available for artemisinin derivatives designed to extend terminal half-life, increase bioavailability, and reduce neurotoxicity. For other drugs used in ACTs, an assortment of …


Optoelectronic Properties Of Carbon-Bound Boron Difluoride Hydrazone Dimers, Daniela Cappello, Ryan R. Maar, Viktor N. Staroverov, Joe Gilroy Mar 2020

Optoelectronic Properties Of Carbon-Bound Boron Difluoride Hydrazone Dimers, Daniela Cappello, Ryan R. Maar, Viktor N. Staroverov, Joe Gilroy

Chemistry Publications

The creation of dimeric boron difluoride complexes of chelating N-donor ligands is a proven strategy for the enhancement of the optoelectronic properties of fluorescent dyes. We report dimers based on the boron difluoride hydrazone (BODIHY) framework, which offer unique and sometimes unexpected substituent-dependent absorption, emission, and electrochemical properties. BODIHY dimers have low-energy absorption bands (lmax = 421 to 479 nm, e = 17,200 to 39,900 M−1 cm−1) that are red-shifted relative to monomeric analogues. THF solutions of these dimers exhibit aggregation-induced emission upon addition of water, with emission enhancement factors ranging from 5 to 18. …


Redox Polymers Incorporating Pendant 6-Oxoverdazyl And Nitronyl Nitroxide Radicals, Michael Anghel, Francois Magnan, Sara D. Catingan, Matthew A. Mccready, Elaheh Aawani, Victor Wong, Deepa Singh, Giovanni Fanchini, Joe Gilroy Jan 2020

Redox Polymers Incorporating Pendant 6-Oxoverdazyl And Nitronyl Nitroxide Radicals, Michael Anghel, Francois Magnan, Sara D. Catingan, Matthew A. Mccready, Elaheh Aawani, Victor Wong, Deepa Singh, Giovanni Fanchini, Joe Gilroy

Chemistry Publications

Polymers comprised of redox-active organic radicals have emerged as promising materials for use in a variety of organic electronics, including fast-charging batteries. Despite these advances, relatively little attention has been focused on the diversification of the families of radicals that are commonly incorporated into polymer frameworks, with most radical polymers being comprised of nitroxide radicals. Here, we report two new examples prepared via ring-opening methathesis polymerization containing 6-oxoverdazyl and nitronyl nitroxide radicals appended to their backbones. The polymerization reaction and optoelectronic properties were explored in detail, revealing high radical content and redox activity that may be advantageous for their use …


Enhancing Protein Electrospray Charge States By Multivalent Metal Ions: Mechanistic Insights From Md Simulations And Mass Spectrometry Experiments., Leanne M Martin, Lars Konermann Jan 2020

Enhancing Protein Electrospray Charge States By Multivalent Metal Ions: Mechanistic Insights From Md Simulations And Mass Spectrometry Experiments., Leanne M Martin, Lars Konermann

Chemistry Publications

The structure and reactivity of electrosprayed protein ions is governed by their net charge. Native proteins in non-denaturing aqueous solutions produce low charge states. More highly charged ions are formed when electrospraying proteins that are unfolded and/or exposed to organic supercharging agents. Numerous studies have explored the electrospray process under these various conditions. One phenomenon that has received surprisingly little attention is the charge enhancement caused by multivalent metal ions such as La3+ when electrospraying proteins out of non-denaturing solutions. Here, we conducted mass spectrometry and ion mobility spectrometry experiments, in combination with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, to uncover …


Controlling The Morphology Of Copper-Silica Nanocomposites From Laser Ablation In Liquid, Mallory John, Katharine M. Tibbetts Jan 2020

Controlling The Morphology Of Copper-Silica Nanocomposites From Laser Ablation In Liquid, Mallory John, Katharine M. Tibbetts

Chemistry Publications

No abstract provided.


From Neutral Aniline To Aniline Trication: A Computational And Experimental Study, G. L. Gutsev, H. A. López Peña, S. L. Mcpherson, Derrick Ampadu Boateng, B. R. Ramachandran, L. G. Gutsev, Katharine M. Tibbetts Jan 2020

From Neutral Aniline To Aniline Trication: A Computational And Experimental Study, G. L. Gutsev, H. A. López Peña, S. L. Mcpherson, Derrick Ampadu Boateng, B. R. Ramachandran, L. G. Gutsev, Katharine M. Tibbetts

Chemistry Publications

We report density functional theory computations and photoionization mass spectrometry measurements of aniline and its positively charged ions. The geometrical structures and properties of the neutral, singly, doubly, and triply positively charged aniline are computed using density functional theory with the generalized gradient approximation. At each charge, there are multiple isomers closely spaced in total energy. Whereas the lowest energy states of both neutral and cation have the same topology C6H5–NH2, the dication and trication have the C5NH5–CH2 topology with the nitrogen atom in the meta and para positions, …


Dissociation Of Singly And Multiply Charged Nitromethane Cations: Femtosecond Laser Mass Spectrometry And Theoretical Modeling, G. L. Gutsev, S. L. Mcpherson, Hugo A. López Peña, Derrick Ampadu Boateng, L. G. Gutsev, B. R. Ramachandran, Katharine M. Tibbetts Jan 2020

Dissociation Of Singly And Multiply Charged Nitromethane Cations: Femtosecond Laser Mass Spectrometry And Theoretical Modeling, G. L. Gutsev, S. L. Mcpherson, Hugo A. López Peña, Derrick Ampadu Boateng, L. G. Gutsev, B. R. Ramachandran, Katharine M. Tibbetts

Chemistry Publications

Dissociation pathways of singly- and multiply charged gas-phase nitromethane cations were investigated with strong-field laser photoionization mass spectrometry and density functional theory computations. There are multiple isomers of the singly charged nitromethane radical cation, several of which can be accessed by rearrangement of the parent CH3–NO2 structure with low energy barriers. While direct cleavage of the C–N bond from the parent nitromethane cation produces NO2+ and CH3+, rearrangement prior to dissociation accounts for fragmentation products including NO+, CH2OH+, and CH2NO+. Extensive Coulomb explosion in fragment ions observed at high laser intensity indicates that rapid dissociation of multiply charged nitromethane cations …


First Ionization Energy As The Asymptotic Limit Of The Average Local Electron Energy, Amer M. El-Samman, Egor Ospadov, Viktor N. Staroverov Jan 2020

First Ionization Energy As The Asymptotic Limit Of The Average Local Electron Energy, Amer M. El-Samman, Egor Ospadov, Viktor N. Staroverov

Chemistry Publications

The first vertical ionization energy of an atom or molecule is encoded in the rate of exponential decay of the exact natural orbitals. For natural orbitals represented in terms of Gaussian basis functions, this property does not hold even approximately. We show that it is nevertheless possible to deduce the first ionization energy from the long-range behavior of Gaussian-basis-set wavefunc- tions by evaluating the asymptotic limit of a quantity called the average local electron energy (ALEE), provided that the most diffuse functions of the basis set have suitable shape and location. The ALEE method exposes subtle qualitative differences between seemingly …


Mechanism Of Nickel Phyllosilicate Formation By Laser Ablation In Liquid, Mallory G. John, Katharine M. Tibbetts Jan 2020

Mechanism Of Nickel Phyllosilicate Formation By Laser Ablation In Liquid, Mallory G. John, Katharine M. Tibbetts

Chemistry Publications

No abstract provided.


High-Pressure Infiltration−Expulsion Of Aqueous Nacl In Planar Hydrophobic Nanopores, S. Zamfir, F. Moucka, D. Bratko Jan 2020

High-Pressure Infiltration−Expulsion Of Aqueous Nacl In Planar Hydrophobic Nanopores, S. Zamfir, F. Moucka, D. Bratko

Chemistry Publications

Pressure-driven permeation of water in a poorly wettable material results in a conversion of mechanical work into surface free energy representing a new form of energy storage, or absorption. When water is replaced by a concentrated electrolyte solution, the storage capacity of a nanoporous medium becomes comparable to high-end supercapacitors. The addition of salt can also reduce the hysteresis of the infiltration/expulsion cycle. Our molecular simulations provide a theoretical perspective into the mechanisms involved in the process, and underlying structures and interactions in compressed nanoconfined solutions. Specifically, we consider aqueous NaCl in planar confinements of widths of 1.0 nm and …


Water-Mediated Peptide Bond Formation In The Gas Phase: A Model Prebiotic Reaction, George C. Shields, Ariel Gale, Tuguldur T. Odbadrakh, Tyler Ball Jan 2020

Water-Mediated Peptide Bond Formation In The Gas Phase: A Model Prebiotic Reaction, George C. Shields, Ariel Gale, Tuguldur T. Odbadrakh, Tyler Ball

Chemistry Publications

The emergence of life on the prebiotic Earth must have involved the formation of polypeptides, yet the polymerization of amino acids is thermodynamically unfavorable under biologically relevant aqueous conditions because amino acids are zwitterions in solution and because of the production of a water molecule through a condensation reaction. Many mechanisms for overcoming this thermodynamic unfavorability have been proposed, but the role of gas phase water clusters has not been investigated. We present the thermodynamics of the water-mediated gas phase dimerization reaction of glycine as a model for the atmospheric polymerization of amino acids prior to the emergence of biological …


Maintaining A High Degree Of Research Productivity At A Pui As Your Career Advances, George C. Shields, Scott E. Feller Jan 2020

Maintaining A High Degree Of Research Productivity At A Pui As Your Career Advances, George C. Shields, Scott E. Feller

Chemistry Publications

In this perspective, two experienced academic administrators who are computational chemists discuss strategies for how to maintain an active research program at a pre- dominately undergraduate institution as your career progresses. More responsibility equates to less time for research, so planning for research to remain a priority is essential. We all have the same amount of time, so figuring out how to use yours bet- ter is the key to remaining active. Professional organizations such as Council on Undergraduate Research, consortia of computational chemists such as Molecular Education and Research Consortium in computational chemistRY and Midwest Undergraduate Computational Chemistry Consortium, …


A Proposed Mechanism To Induce Multi-Layer Polydiacetylene-Coated Filter Color Response To Bacteria , Timothy Hanks Jan 2020

A Proposed Mechanism To Induce Multi-Layer Polydiacetylene-Coated Filter Color Response To Bacteria , Timothy Hanks

Chemistry Publications

The purpose of this study was to develop a multi-layer diacetylene (PDA)-coated filter and to verify the proposed color response mechanism of PDA-coated filters to bacteria. Unlike other reports which immobilize PDA lipo- somes on solid support or create monolayer Langmuir films, multi-layer PDA-coated filters were generated by directly evaporating organic solvents. Different from incorporating functional headgroups or inserting phospho- lipids into PDA, we reported that bacterial growth can trigger the color change of PDA sensors without any mod- ification or phospholipid insertion. The mechanism that pH change from bacteria metabolites lead to color change of PDA filter was proposed …


Particle Formation And Surface Processes On Atmospheric Aerosols: A Review Of Applied Quantum Chemical Calculations, George C. Shields, Ariel Gale, Tyler Ball, Tuguldur T. Odbadrakh, Angelini Leonardi, Heather M. Ricker, Juan G. Navea Jan 2020

Particle Formation And Surface Processes On Atmospheric Aerosols: A Review Of Applied Quantum Chemical Calculations, George C. Shields, Ariel Gale, Tyler Ball, Tuguldur T. Odbadrakh, Angelini Leonardi, Heather M. Ricker, Juan G. Navea

Chemistry Publications

Aerosols significantly influence atmospheric processes such as cloud nucleation, het- erogeneous chemistry, and heavy-metal transport in the troposphere. The chemical and physical complexity of atmospheric aerosols results in large uncertainties in their climate and health effects. In this article, we review recent advances in scientific understanding of aerosol processes achieved by the application of quantum chemical calculations. In particular, we emphasize recent work in two areas: new particle for- mation and heterogeneous processes. Details in quantum chemical methods are pro- vided, elaborating on computational models for prenucleation, secondary organic aerosol formation, and aerosol interface phenomena. Modeling of relative humidity effects, …


Twenty Years Of Exceptional Success: The MOlecular EDucation And REsearch COnsortium In UNdergraduate Computational ChemistRy (Mercury)” , George C. Shields Jan 2020

Twenty Years Of Exceptional Success: The MOlecular EDucation And REsearch COnsortium In UNdergraduate Computational ChemistRy (Mercury)” , George C. Shields

Chemistry Publications

The molecular education and research consortium in undergraduate computational chemistry (MERCURY) consortium, established in 2000, has contributed greatly to the scientific development of faculty and undergraduates. The MERCURY faculty peer-reviewed publication rate from 2001 to 2019 of 1.7 papers/faculty/year is 3.4 times the rate of the physical science faculty at primarily undergraduate institutions. We have worked with over 1000 students on research projects since 2001, and 75% of our undergraduate research students have been under-represented in chemistry, either female or students of color. Approximately half of our alumni attend graduate school for the purpose of obtaining advanced degrees in STEM …