Chemistry Commons^™

Carbon Nanotubes Animated, Nicholas Onyemeke

Chemistry Summer Fellows

In this project, I implemented the knowledge about carbon nanotubes into an animated short. The animated short is meant to simplify the research so that anyone can understand regardless of their background in science. The research I did was on how nanotubes can be used in the medical field as a measure to inhibit bacteria growth. A nanotube dye solution was synthesized to inoculate bacteria along with an antibiotic solution with the nanotubes. This was done to observe how well the nanotubes can inhibit bacteria growth without the need for a drug compared to the effectiveness when it has a …

Determination Of Nitrate In Aqueous Media, Ebony Arauz Tellez, John Bohannon, Rebecca Mills, Virginia Tam, Isabelle Villarreal, Melissa C. Rhoten

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Determining the amount of inorganic ions in aqueous media is important in the food industry and environmentally. In the environment high levels of ions like nitrate (NO₃^-), nitrite (NO2^-), and phosphate (PO₄^3-) can lead to unhealthy conditions for aquatic species. Similarly, high levels of nitrate and nitrite can cause health issues in humans. One method for determining nitrate levels in aqueous samples involves reducing the nitrate species to nitrite via a redox reaction with finely divided zinc powder followed by conversion to a diazonium salt and complexation with 1-napthylamine to form a …

Is It Useful? Orthophosphate Mapping Of An Excavated Cellar Of A Mid 1700’S Tavern In New London Va, Thomas M. Bender, Randy Lichtenberger

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The partially backfilled cellar of Mead’s Tavern (VDHR # 015-0120) a circa 1760’s building in New London Virginia, was studied by orthophosphate (PO₄³) mapping of the recently exposed, culturally sterile, subsoil floor. Prior studies of the cellar had exposed a hearth along with features that were speculated to be wall partitions for subdivision of the cellar. The full intended purpose for those exposed features is unknown. To further probe that exposed subsoil prior to a major engineering stabilization of the tavern’s foundation, a chemical mapping of surface PO₄^3- levels in the cellar was done. The …

Synthesis Of Asymmetrically-Substituted Tetraphenyl-Class Porphyrins, William J. Davis

Summer Scholarship, Creative Arts and Research Projects (SCARP)

Porphyrins are macrocyclic compounds that can be synthesized and used in photodynamic therapy (PDT), a noninvasive and selective method designed to eliminate diseased tissue (such as cancer) without killing healthy tissue. PDT involves the following three steps. A photosensitizer enters a cancerous cell, is excited by electromagnetic radiation, and transfers the energy to molecular oxygen which is then converted into singlet oxygen, which triggers cellular apoptosis. However, for a porphyrin to be utilized as a therapeutic in PDT, it must satisfy the following two criteria: the porphyrin needs to possess the correct solubility to pass through the cell membrane and …

Synthesis Of Asymmetrically-Substituted Tetraphenyl-Class Porphyrins, William J. Davis

Summer Scholarship, Creative Arts and Research Projects (SCARP)

No abstract provided.

Luminescent Metal-Organic Frameworks For The Detection Of Alcohols, Lucas Stehle, Kristi A. Kneas, Jeffrey A. Rood

Summer Scholarship, Creative Arts and Research Projects (SCARP)

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), porous materials composed of metal ions and organic linkers, have broad applications in separation, small molecule storage, and catalysis. Luminescent metal-organic frameworks (LMOFs) hold great potential in the development of sensors, and, with their relatively straightforward syntheses that produce predictable, homogeneous, extended structures, should result in good sensor-to-sensor reproducibility and uniform response. In addition, subtle differences in overall LMOF structure, metal ion coordination, pore surfaces, and host-guest interactions within pores should have significant impact on observed photoluminescence and provide numerous strategies for analyte detection, which shows promise for the detection of alcohols. Highlighted here is the development …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Oxovanadium Compounds As Potential Insulin Mimetic Molecules, Kaitlyn Mercando, Jeffrey A. Rood

Summer Scholarship, Creative Arts and Research Projects (SCARP)

Oxovanadium(IV) complexes have numerous applications in diverse areas such as catalysts for organic transformations and as anti-fungal agents. Complexes that this research focused on have shown potential in acting as insulin mimetics. The goal of this research was to synthesis and fully characterize a new series of oxovanadium complexes and then investigate the insulin mimetic properties of the complexes with adipose cell culture work. Vanadyl complexes involving a series of salicylaldiminato ligands [C6H5N=CHC6H4OH (L1), 2,6-iPrC6H3N=CHC6H4OH (L2), C6H5N=CH-3,5-tBu2C6H2OH (L3) and 2,6-iPrC6H3N=CH-3,5-tBu2C6H2OH (L4)] were synthesized and structurally characterized. The ligand set was investigated due to the ease of sterically tuning the substituents …

Incorporation Of Luminescent Osmium Complexes Into Metal-Organic Frameworks: Optimization Of Osmium Complex Synthesis And Effect Of Mof Structure On Complex Inclusion And Emission, Brandon A. Molina, Lucas Stehle, Jeffrey A. Rood

Summer Scholarship, Creative Arts and Research Projects (SCARP)

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are materials that contain metal centers coordinated by organic molecules that form an extended, porous lattice. These MOFs are of interest in the field of sensing for their unique properties such as high stability, high surface area, high crystallinity, and ability to perform small molecule exchange. Luminescent metal-organic frameworks (LMOFs) are of specific interest since they contain the potential to detect odorless volatile organic compounds (VOCs) via adsorption into the porous framework. Luminescent properties can be imparted to MOFs in several ways. This project focused on the inclusion of a luminescent osmium complex into the MOF scaffold. …

Improvement In 14-3-3 Binding Site Prediction, Katherine K. Mccormack

ScholarsArchive Data

The 14-3-3 family of phospho-binding proteins regulate a variety of major cellular processes through interaction with a network of dynamic proteins. Deregulation of the 14-3-3 interaction network contributes to a variety of degenerative disorders and cancers. Our lab focuses on identifying novel 14-3-3 interactions and understanding how 14-3-3 binding regulates protein function. A major gap in this process is that identifying the phospho-site where 14-3-3 docks on a given protein is time- and resource-consuming. Prediction algorithms have been developed to predict canonical 14-3-3 binding sites, however, there are many non-canonical sites that existing software is unable to predict. To fill …

Modification Of Chm20 Lab: Synthesis Of Aspirin, Nicole Diaz, Amy Musselman Prof.

KU Inspires! Undergraduate Research Day

No abstract provided.

Uptake Of Co(Ii) Ions From Aqueous Solutions By Low-Cost Biopolymers And Their Hybrid, Mohamdia Nassar, Abel E. Navarro

Publications and Research

Alginate hydrogel beads (AB), spent peppermint leaf (PM), and a hybrid adsorbent of these two materials (ABPM), were studied as potential adsorbents of Cobalt (II) ions from aqueous solutions in batch system at room temperature. Equilibrium parameters such as solution pH, mass of adsorbent and the presence of a crowding agent on the adsorption of Co(II) ions were investigated. The results indicate that Co(II) uptake is maximized at pH values higher than 5, with adsorbent doses in the range 120-200 mg. Co(II) adsorption followed the trend AB > ABPM > PM with adsorption percentages of 77%, 71% and 64%, respectively.

Opening Of An Epoxide Ring Using Azide To Form A Triazole, Emily Hufnagel, Jeffrey A. Hansen

Annual Student Research Poster Session

No abstract provided.

Synthesis Of Ether Alcohols With Varying Catalysts, Hannah Grady, Frida Li, Jeffrey A. Hansen

Annual Student Research Poster Session

No abstract provided.

Titanium Dioxide Sensitized With Porphyrin Dye As A Photocatalyst For The Degradation Of Water Pollutants, Kevin Reyes, Ivana Jovanovic

Publications and Research

TiO2 was sensitized with a porphyrin, Tetra(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin(TCPP) and used as photocatalyst under visible light for degradation of aqueous solutions of methylene blue (MB) dye. The quantification of the degradation of MB was assessed by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The results of this procedure showed the decrease in concentration of MB over time when reaction is exposed to visible light. The TiO2-TCPP complex was tested as well for the recovery of metals from the AgNO3 aqueous solution. The reduction of silver cations to silver metal was observed through formation of black precipitate.

Solar Cells, D. Venkataraman

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

Solar cells convert the sun's energy into electrical energy. In this workshop, I will discuss the processes involved in solar cell and various types of solar cells that are being developed as an alternative to silicon solar cells. I will also demonstrate how students can build a solar cell from readily available materials.

Atomic Theory #5: Molecules And Compounds, Emmanuel J. Chang, Kevin J. Mark

Open Educational Resources

Video lectures on atomic theory incorporating a simulated student class working problems to increase accessibility and relatablility.

Open Educational Resource funded by a City University of New York OER Grant. Produced by the Department of Chemistry, York College/CUNY and the Department of Natural Sciences, LaGuardia Community College/CUNY

Synthesizing Polyhydroxylated Indolizidines From D-Glucopyranoside, Stephanie Bryson

SURE (Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience)

The individual sugars that constitute more complex carbo-hydrates are joined together by glycosidic bonds. Glycosidase enzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of these glycosidic bonds. The action of glycosidases plays an important role in viral infections, cancer, and diabetes. Iminosugars are nitrogen containing sugar analogs that are known to inhibit glycosidase function. The main objective of this research is to synthesize four of the possible 32 stereoisomers of a tetrahydoxylated indolizidine iminosugar (Figure 1) starting from a commercially available D-glucopyranoside. After synthesizing pyrrolidine 6 (39.3%), a ring-closing metathesis was performed to generate the indolizidine 7. A ruthenium catalyzed dihydroxylation followed by acetylation …

Chemistry Student Attitudes And Utilization Of Office Hours, Dieng Barbacar, Edgar Gomez, Andre Rodriguez

Publications and Research

While research has demonstrated that faculty-student interactions increase retention and graduation rates, faculty often report that their office hours are underutilized. To better understand students’ attitudes, usage and plans towards faculty hours a survey was administered in the second to third week of the fall 2018 semester to students in 5 sections of general chemistry courses. The goal was to better understand how students perceive the benefits and hindrances of office hours, along with current or planned attendance. Prior to survey administration, it was speculated that not attending office hours could be because they were not scheduled at a convenient …

Applications Of Diels-Alder Chemistry In Polymer Synthesis, Joshua C. Stambaugh, Philip J. Costanzo, Sierra E. Gosting

STAR Program Research Presentations

Diels-Alder chemistry is utilized for a myriad of commercial applications during polymer synthesis, ranging from self-healing materials to heat responsive materials to emulsion coatings. In particular, the ability to regulate and control the amount and type of functional group linkages is key component for polymer applications. A common strategy that is employed is the use of phenolic maleimide as a dienophile during Diels-Alder synthesis to control the linkages on a polymer, which determines its properties and functionality. This summer was the beginning of a project to prepare a commercial scale, water-based emulsion floor coating/polish. The first step in this project …

Concentration, Amount And Counting By Weighing, Julian Tyson

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

Concentration, Amount and Counting by Weighing

UMass Amherst STEM Ed Institute Saturday Workshop 2/3/2018

Julian Tyson, Professor Emeritus, Department of Chemistry. Tyson@chem.umass.edu

Session 1. Introductions.

Ice-breaker: The elementarity contest.

Setting the scene: “How much arsenic do we eat?” Why do we want to know? The Consumer Reports articles (Nov 2012 and Nov 2014)

Dealing with really big and really small numbers.

Session 2. Amount, concentration

Solids, liquids and gases. The “parts per” concept.

Session 3. Counting by weighing

The count equation. Rice grains (the bottle content problem), atoms and molecules.. Chemical formulas and balanced chemical expressions. The numbers in the …

Special Topic 1: Chemical Evolution- A Possible Origin Of Life, Gordon Gribble

Chemistry 52, Gordon Gribble lectures on Special Topics

No abstract provided.

Special Topic 2: Insect Pheromones And Chemical Defense Secretions, Gordon Gribble

Chemistry 52, Gordon Gribble lectures on Special Topics

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Special Topics, Gordon Gribble

Chemistry 52, Gordon Gribble lectures on Special Topics

No abstract provided.

Special Topic 3, Part 2: Pesticides: Herbicides, Vietnam Defoliants, And Dioxin, Gordon Gribble

Chemistry 52, Gordon Gribble lectures on Special Topics

No abstract provided.

Special Topic 3, Part 1: Pesticides: Natural And Manmade Pesticides, Gordon Gribble

Chemistry 52, Gordon Gribble lectures on Special Topics

No abstract provided.

Special Topic 4: Cancer And Chemical Carcinogenesis, Gordon Gribble

Chemistry 52, Gordon Gribble lectures on Special Topics

No abstract provided.

Special Topic 5: Chemical Warfare, Gordon Gribble

Chemistry 52, Gordon Gribble lectures on Special Topics

No abstract provided.

Special Topic 2: Insect Pheromones, Supporting Images 1, Gordon Gribble

Chemistry 52, Gordon Gribble lectures on Special Topics

No abstract provided.

Special Topic 2: Insect Pheromones, Supporting Images 2, Gordon Gribble

Chemistry 52, Gordon Gribble lectures on Special Topics

No abstract provided.

Nanotechnology Overview Powerpoint, Mark Tuominen

Nanotechnology Teacher Summer Institutes

Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. This PowerPoint gives an overview of the field and introduces the teacher summer institute.