Digital Commons Network^™

Immobilization Of Thiol-Modified Horseradish Peroxidase On Gold Nanoparticles Enhances Enzyme Stability And Prevents Proteolytic Digestion, Faith E. Breausche, Annelise Somerlot, Jason Walder, Kwame Osei, Samuel Okyem, Jeremy D. Driskell

Faculty Publications – Chemistry

The specificity and efficiency of enzyme-mediated reactions have the potential to positively impact many biotechnologies; however, many enzymes are easily degraded. Immobilization on a solid support has recently been explored to improve enzyme stability. This study aims to gain insights and facilitate enzyme adsorption onto gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to form a stable bioconjugate through the installation of thiol functional groups that alter the protein chemistry. In specific, the model enzyme, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), is thiolated via Traut’s reagent to increase the robustness and enzymatic activity of the bioconjugate. This study compares HRP and its thiolated analog (THRP) to deduce the …

Permafrost Carbon: Progress On Understanding Stocks And Fluxes Across Northern Terrestrial Ecosystems, Claire C. Treat, Anna-Maria Virkkala, Eleanor Burke, Lori Bruhwiler, Abhishek Chatterjee, Joshua B. Fisher, Josh Hashemi, Frans-Jan W. Parmentier, Brendan M. Rogers, Sebastian Westermann, Jennifer D. Watts, Elena Blanc-Betes, Matthias Fuchs, Stefan Kruse, Avni Malhotra, Kimberley Miner, Jens Strauss, Amanda Armstrong, Howard E. Epstein, Bradley Gay, Mathias Goeckede, Aram Kalhori, Dan Kou, Charles E. Miller, Susan M. Natali, Youmi Oh, Sarah Shakil, Oliver Sonnentag, Ruth K. Varner, Scott Zolkos, Edward A.G. Schuur, Gustaf Hugelius

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Significant progress in permafrost carbon science made over the past decades include the identification of vast permafrost carbon stocks, the development of new pan-Arctic permafrost maps, an increase in terrestrial measurement sites for CO₂ and methane fluxes, and important factors affecting carbon cycling, including vegetation changes, periods of soil freezing and thawing, wildfire, and other disturbance events. Process-based modeling studies now include key elements of permafrost carbon cycling and advances in statistical modeling and inverse modeling enhance understanding of permafrost region C budgets. By combining existing data syntheses and model outputs, the permafrost region is likely a wetland methane …

Design Of Kappa Opioid Receptor Agonists For Potential Treatment Of Multiple Sclerosis, Lindsay Kornberger

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system characterized by demyelination and neuroinflammation. There is currently no cure for MS. There is a critically unmet need for the development of pharmacotherapies that can induce remyelination promoting both repair and recovery. The kappa opioid receptor (KOR) has been identified as a potential target for the development of remyelinating pharmacotherapies. KOR activation has been shown to promote functional recovery and remyelination preclinically. However, typical KOR agonists like U50,488 have limitations such as sedation and dysphoria limiting their use. This necessitates further development of new KOR agonists that maintain …

Inorganic Chemical Reasoning Skills: An Exploratory Study Into Understanding Students’ Choices And Thought Processes, Hannah P. Thompson

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Predicting the products of reactions is a fundamental skill for practicing inorganic chemists. However, the current knowledge of the strategies that students use to solve them is limited. Presumably, instructors of inorganic chemistry courses give complete-the-reaction assessment items hoping that students will use their knowledge of inorganic concepts to solve them; but it is conceivable that a successful student could use heuristics or domain general problem-solving methods. I proposed this study to determine which strategies were used by students when solving complete-the-reaction tasks in inorganic chemistry, and also to make qualitative connections between strategy and accuracy. This was done in …

The Kinetic Modulation Of Α - Synuclein Fibrillation And Toxicity By 4-Phenylbutyric Acid, Kristos Awuah Baffour

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The Protein misfolding and aggregation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) into neurotoxic amyloids underlies the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD). 4-Phenylbutyrate (PBA), an FDA drug approved for treating urea cycle disorders, has garnered significant attention as a potential chemical chaperone for targeting alpha-synuclein (α-syn) aggregation. Using in vitro assays, we demonstrated that PBA treatment alters the pattern of α-syn aggregation, as evidenced by reduced formation of oligomeric species and its increased susceptibility to proteolytic cleavage under the influence of PBA. Proteinase K assay, surface plasmon resonance, and Nile red studies indicate that PBA interacts with the extensive …

Development Of Functional Plasmonic Nanoceria For The Ultrasensitive Detection Of Ebola Glycoprotein, Carissa A. Sutton

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Infectious diseases have been increasing in both severity and prevalence, leading to increasing economic burdens and health concerns. Ebola hemorrhagic fever is an infectious disease that is both highly communicable and highly fatal. Current detection methods for the virus have high specificity and sensitivity but have long and/or complicated procedures that do not allow for early virus detection in highly affected areas. Compared to the lengthy procedure of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real-time RT-PCR is more time-efficient; however, specificity and sensitivity are reduced. Since early detection of the virus is the only way to increase survival rates, sensitive detection …

Computational Study Of Proton Transfer At Transition Metal Hydrides, Megan Ford

Honors Theses

Energy storage in the bonds of common chemical feedstocks is an attractive solution to the unreliability of wind and solar power due to its long term efficiency and easy recoverability. Energy is stored by reducing chemicals like ammonia, formic acid, and hydrogen, the reaction of which is dependent on a catalyst. To catalyze the reaction, the catalyst undergoes a slow proton transfer (PT) step to form what is known as a metal hydride. The sluggish kinetics of this step lower the effectiveness of the catalyst, and therefore must be better understood in order to improve the efficiency of energy storage …

Illuminating Function And Enabling Inhibition At The Protein-Membrane Interface Of Glutathione Peroxidase 4., Courtney L. Labrecque

Theses and Dissertations

Membrane proteins act as gateways to cells and are responsible not only for signaling, lipid transport, and cellular homeostasis, but they are also integral in disease pathologies. One class of membrane proteins, peripheral membrane proteins (PMPs), reside in aqueous compartments of the cell until they are recruited to the membrane to perform their function. Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4) is a PMP enzyme responsible for engaging the membrane and reducing lipid hydroperoxides, thereby preventing cellular death via ferroptosis. Due to its central function surrounding ferroptosis, GPx4 is an interesting drug target that has recently gained interest for inflammatory diseases as well …

An Investigation Of The Correlation Between Polymer Solution Entanglement And Electrospun Polycaprolactone Fiber Mechanics, Manasa Sujatha Rajeev

Honors Theses

The aim of this study was to determine the role of entanglement in the mechanical properties of electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) fibers. PCL is a useful polyester due to its favorable properties such as its biocompatibility and biodegradability. Multiple concentrations of PCL were dissolved in a 3:1 acetic to formic acid solvent. Fibers were formed using an electrospinning technique. Entanglement is a required parameter to produce fibers, thus the number of entanglements per polymer (ne) was calculated, as well as the corresponding concentrations. Smooth continuous fibers were found to form between 13 w/v% and 17 w/v%. Mechanical analysis, such as three-point …

Development Of Biosensors For Detection Of Human Papillomavirus Type 16 Dna, Panon Tungkunaruk

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This dissertation aims to develop two unconventional methods for the detection of a high-risk, cancer-causing human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) on miniaturized platforms for point-of-care testing (POCT). The first part focuses on a direct detection of HPV16 double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) using the non-self-pairing pyrrolidinyl peptide nucleic acid (acpcPNA) pair on a paper-based substrate coupled with fluorescence and electrochemical dual detections using a DNA-binding dye in a single device. The acpcPNA pair can perform double duplex invasion into dsDNA by hybridizing with each strand of DNA in the same region without the requirement of denaturing dsDNA to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) before …

Development Of Electrochemical Sensor Based On Molecularly Imprinted Polymer For Determination Of Roxarsone, Pitranan Kunthanasap

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Roxarsone (ROX), a growth enhancer in poultry and swine, has the potential to improve weight gain and prevent coccidiosis. Excessive use of ROX may lead to its accumulation in animal tissues, potentially contaminating food products and posing health risks to humans through consumption. This research aims to develop an electrochemical sensor based on a magnetic screen-printed graphene electrode (mSPGE) modified with a highly selective molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for the determination of ROX with enhanced sensitivity and selectivity. Typically, an applied magnetic field at the mSPGE could accelerate mass transport at the electrode surface through the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effect, leading …

Exploration Of Sulfonamides And Benzothiazoles As Peptide-Based Cleavable Linkers, Abigail Dalton

Honors Theses

Cleavable linkers have demonstrated great potential in various applications of medicinal organic chemistry, such as in modern therapeutic development. Linkers are stable compounds that cleave in specific conditions to release molecular cargo. We have developed cleavable linkers based on nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions on sulfonamide and benzothiazole substrates in small molecule and in peptide studies. Sulfonamides, commonly with an electron-withdrawing group, reacted in high conversion of starting material to the sulfide product in small molecule studies, but was unable to successfully cleave the sulfonamide linker on peptide in mild conditions. Next, a benzothiazole sulfone substrate was analyzed and optimized in …

Coordination Chemistry Using Strategic Design Of Ligands For Switchable Properties, Delara Joekar

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Coordination-driven self-assemblies are multifunctional molecular systems that provide an efficient method for miniaturization towards functional devices with diverse applications. Herein, the synthesis of novel pyrazole-based ligands suitable for construction of coordination assemblies is reported. These were designed using a strategy that incorporates the presence of both cationic and anionic coordination sites, and a third site for further functionalization. This design strategy has been used because there is still a knowledge gap for controlling the directionality of weak molecular forces in the presence of stronger competing forces. The structural characterization of these ligands, their Hirshfeld surface analysis, and select coordination complexes …

Conformational Investigation Of Biopolymers Through Molecular Dynamics (Md) Simulations And In-Droplet Hdx-Ms Utilizing Cvssi, Samira Hajian Foroushani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over the last two decades, mass spectrometry (MS) has received significant interest in biological study platforms, especially in the areas of proteomics and metabolomics. With the development of soft ionization methods like electrospray ionization (ESI), mass spectrometry has emerged as a potent method for directly characterizing proteins in their native state. The recent invention of capillary vibrating sharp-edge spray ionization has opened new avenues for the study of biopolymer native structure including the usage of droplet charge tuning and in-droplet hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) labeling. With this new technique comes the opportunity to study biopolymer ion structure preservation with molecular dynamics …

Nickel-Catalyzed Regioselective Three-Component Coupling Of Phenyl Vinyl Sulfones With Alkynes, Stephen M. Long

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Benzene rings are some of the most prevalent motifs found in small molecule drugs with only a few dominant substitution patterns, 1-, 1,2-, 1,4-, and 1,2,4-. Nucleophilic aromatic substitution and electrophilic aromatic substitution are traditional methods for the synthesis of substituted benzenes and are robust and commonly used by chemical manufacturers, which explains in part the observed distribution of substitution patterns. Current methods to access substituted benzenes comprise of transition-metal-catalyzed C-H activation, transition-metal-catalyzed cross-coupling, and aryne chemistry. In general, the present methods require directing/leaving groups in specific positions to proceed, which inherently puts a limitation on substrate scope. Transition-metal-catalyzed [2+2+2] …

The Relationship Between Metacognition, Study Strategies, And Students’ Performances In General Chemistry And Organic Chemistry Courses, Nghiem Uy Tieu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Many students find General Chemistry challenging, and studies have shown a link between students’ grades in chemistry and a decrease in interest in STEM fields. Similarly, Organic Chemistry has also been typically identified as a difficult course for many undergraduate students and has a notoriously high failure rate. Numerous studies have explored various methods to enhance students’ performance and experience in both General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, but there hasn’t been much focus on students’ study strategies. In addition, metacognition, the skill of thinking about one’s thinking, had been proven in studies as a vital role in enhancing students’ achievements. …

Development Of Lab-On-A-Chip Platforms Incorporating A Novel Acoustic Atomization Induced Pump Based On A Vibrating Sharp Edge Capillary., Balapuwaduge Lihini Tharanga Catherine Mendis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Capillary Vibrating Sharp-edge Ionization device (cVSSI device) was developed by our laboratory with a low cost and an easy fabrication procedure. The generation of small liquid droplets by this technique has been used as an ionization source for mass spectrometry analysis platforms. On usual applications incorporating the cVSSI device a syringe pump was connected to the back end of the vibrating sharp tip capillary to ensure continuous loading of sample into the capillary to sustain the ionization process at the tip end of the vibrating sharp tip capillary. We were able to observe that upon the generation of droplets the …

Chemical Synthesis And Biological Application Of Sensitive Rna, Alexander T. Apostle

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In the field of epigenetics - the dynamic collection of chemical modifications that overlay DNA/RNA - there is increasing interest in the potential for therapeutic and research-based utilization of the epitranscriptomics: those epigenetic modifications specific to RNA. Epitranscriptomics can give us a new approach to understanding and treating RNA viruses, like SARS-CoV-2. Given viruses are often found modified by human epitranscriptomic machinery, understanding how these modifications can modulate virulence is of high interest. We have shown that the N1-methyladensoine modification causes RNA synthesis termination in the SARS-CoV-2 replication complex, and thus may explain the differences in symptoms observed in individuals. …

Whole Genome Crispr-Cas9 Screens Identify Genes Contributing To Viral Entry And Phagocytosis, Md Saddam Hossain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary technique for genome editing where Cas9 nucleases can be targeted to specific genomic sites by single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) containing roughly 20-nucleotide sequences that are complementary to the target region. Double strand breaks created by Cas9 are repaired through non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) in most cells, resulting in insertions and deletions leading to frame shift mutations in coding regions. Thus, the CRISPR-Cas9 system can be exploited for systematic evaluation of gene function relationships by whole genome screening. We also developed a CRISPR whole‐genome screen and counter‐screen strategy based on a pseudoviral platform that allowed identification of genes specific …

Analysis Of Toxic Chemical Agents And Therapeutics For Toxic Inhaled Agents’ Exposure, Khadija Bilkis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When inhaled, toxic inhalation agents (TIAs) such as cyanide (CN), ammonia and sulfur compounds (e.g. methanethiol (MeSH)) can be fatal. Many TIAs cause cellular hypoxia, cytotoxic anoxia, apnea, respiratory failure, neurodegenerative disorder, circulatory collapse, seizures, and potential death by blocking mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase. All TIA’s have the potential to be employed as chemical warfare agents, terrorist weapons, or dangerous occupational gases. Although many TIAs are potential threats, there are minimal FDA-approved treatments for these substances useful in a mass-casualty situation. Recently, cobinamide (Cbi) has come to light as a potential antidote for MeSH poisoning. However, methods for analyzing MeSH …

Enhancement Of Antitumor Effects Of Berberine Chloride With A Copper(Ii) Complex Against Human Triple Negative Breast Cancer: In Vitro Studies, Duaa R. Alajroush, Brittney F. Anderson, Janae A. Bruce, Christian I. Lartey, Dazonte A. Mathurin, Sean T. Washington, Tanaya S. Washington, Sidy Diawara, Sakariyau A. Waheed, Kaylin L. Thomas, Stephen J. Beebe, Alvin A. Holder

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

In this study, the copper(II) complex [Cu(chromoneTSC)Cl₂]•0.5H₂O•0.0625C₂H₅OH (where chromoneTSC = (E)-N-Ethyl-2-((4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)methylene)-hydrazinecarbothioamide) was synthesized and characterized; then used to carry out in vitro studies in combination with berberine chloride (BBC). The ligand and complex were characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR and NMR (¹H and ¹³C) spectroscopy, and conductivity measurements. The cytotoxic effect was analyzed by using the CCK-8 viability assay in cancer MDA-MB-231 VIM RFP and non-cancer MCF-10A cell lines. The IC₅₀ values for the complex and BBC were 21.2 ± 1.6 and 48.3 ± 2.4 μM, respectively at 24 h incubation, while the IC₅₀ value of the combination treatment …

A Facile Auto-Combustion Pathway For Creating Mn- And Fe-Doped Tio2 Nanostructures And Their Photocatalytic Activity, Gharieb Meselhy

Dentistry

Using a combination of two fuels, an auto-combustion method was used to synthesize pure TiO2 and doped TiO2 with different concentrations of iron(III) (Fe) and manganese(II) (Mn) (1, 3, 5, and 7 mol%). The as-prepared materials were characterized using different techniques, including thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The XRD results showed that both pure TiO2 and all doped TiO2 samples had the anatase phase, indicating the crystalline nature of all the as-prepared nanomaterials. Crystal violet decolorization under UV irradiation was used to …

A New Approach For Discriminating Spatially Acquired Sers Spectra Using Antiretroviral Drug Emtricitabine As A Test Sample, Jana Hrncirova, Marguerite R. Butler, Meredith R. Clark, Gustavo F. Doncel, John B. Cooper

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

In this study, an antiretroviral drug emtricitabine (also known as FTC or Emtriva) was detected and quantified down to 40 ng/ml by using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Its aqueous standards were tested with two types of silver nanoparticles (colloidal and dendritic) using a specially developed aluminum well plate. The SERS spectra were acquired using a Raman scanning device with 30-mu m spatial resolution. The spectral data were analyzed using a new approach for the discrimination of the spatially acquired spectra based on the Quality index (Qi). After the Qi is calculated, the spectral data are sorted based on the Qi. …

Unraveling Sources Of Cyanate In The Marine Environment: Insights From Cyanate Distributions And Production During The Photochemical Degradation Of Dissolved Organic Matter, Rui Wang, Jihua Liu, Yongle Xu, Li Liu, Kenneth Mopper

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Cyanate is a nitrogen and energy source for diverse marine microorganisms, playing important roles in the nitrogen cycle. Despite the extensive research on cyanate utilization, the sources of this nitrogen compound remain largely enigmatic. To unravel the sources of cyanate, distributions and production of cyanate during photochemical degradation of natural dissolved organic matter (DOM) were investigated across various environments, including freshwater, estuarine, coastal areas in Florida, and the continental and slope regions of the North American mid-Atlantic Ocean (NATL). Cyanate production was also examined during the photochemical degradation of exudates from a typical strain of Synechococcus, an important phytoplankton …

Evidence Of Direct Interaction Between Cisplatin And The Caspase-Cleaved Prostate Apoptosis Response-4 Tumor Suppressor, Krishna K. Raut, Samjhana Pandey, Gyanendra Kharel, Steven M. Pascal

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4) tumor suppressor protein has gained attention as a potential therapeutic target owing to its unique ability to selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells, sensitize them to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and mitigate drug resistance. It has recently been reported that Par-4 interacts synergistically with cisplatin, a widely used anticancer drug. However, the mechanistic details underlying this relationship remain elusive. In this investigation, we employed an array of biophysical techniques, including circular dichroism spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, to characterize the interaction between the active caspase-cleaved Par-4 (cl-Par-4) fragment and cisplatin. Additionally, elemental analysis was …

Reducing The Uncertainty In Estimating Soil Microbial-Derived Carbon Storage, Han Hu, Chao Qian, Ke Xue, Rainer Georg Jörgensen, Marco Keiluweit, Chao Liang, Xuefeng Zhu, Ji Chen, Yishen Sun, Haowei Ni, Jixian Ding, Weigen Huang, Jingdong Mao, Rong-Xi Tan, Jizhong Zhou, Thomas W. Crowther, Zhi-Hua Zhou, Jiabao Zhang, Yuting Liang

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the largest carbon pool in terrestrial ecosystems and plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change and enhancing soil productivity. Microbial-derived carbon (MDC) is the main component of the persistent SOC pool. However, current formulas used to estimate the proportional contribution of MDC are plagued by uncertainties due to limited sample sizes and the neglect of bacterial group composition effects. Here, we compiled the comprehensive global dataset and employed machine learning approaches to refine our quantitative understanding of MDC contributions to total carbon storage. Our efforts resulted in a reduction in the relative standard errors …

Potentially Massive And Global Non-Pyrogenic Production Of Condensed "Black" Carbon Through Biomass Oxidation, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Hongmei Chen, Jianshu Duan, Satish C. B. Myneni, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

With the increased occurrences of wildfires worldwide, there has been an increase in scientific interest surrounding the chemistry of fire-derived "black" carbon (BC). Traditionally, wildfire research has assumed that condensed aromatic carbon (ConAC) is exclusively produced via combustion, and thus, ConAC is equated to BC. However, the lack of correlations between ConAC in soils or rivers and wildfire history suggests that ConAC may be produced non-pyrogenically. Here, we show quantitative evidence that this occurs during the oxidation of biomass with environmentally ubiquitous hydroxyl radicals. Pine wood boards exposed to iron nails and natural weather conditions for 12 years yielded a …

Assessing The Spatiotemporal Variability Of Dissolved Organic Matter Fluorescence Composition In The Lake George, Ny Watershed, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Mark W. Swinton, David A. Winkler, Jeremy L. Farrell, Sandra A. Nierzwicki-Bauer, Sasha Wagner

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Lake George (LG) is a temperate, oligotrophic, medium-sized lake (114 km²) located in northeastern New York State (U.S.). Lakes are highly understudied environments where extensive dissolved organic matter (DOM) processing occurs. With this study we establish the foundation for researching the organic biogeochemistry of the LG watershed, in particular, the numerous tributaries flowing into the lake. Collected were 213 samples from 64 tributaries and 12 lake locations. Some of the tributaries had unique wastewater, agricultural, or wetland influences. We employed fluorescence spectroscopy, a common biogeochemical technique, to characterize the fluorescent DOM (FDOM) component. We developed a parallel factor …

Photoluminescence Switching In Quantum Dots Connected With Carboxylic Acid And Thiocarboxylic Acid End-Group Diarylethene Molecules, Ephraiem S. Sarabamoun, Pramod Aryal, Jonathan M. Bietsch, Maurice Curran, Sugandha Verma, Grayson Johnson, Lucy U. Yoon, Amelia G. Reid, Esther H. R. Tsai, Charles W. Machan, Christopher Paolucci, Guijun Wang, Joshua J. Choi

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

We contrast the switching of photoluminescence (PL) of PbS quantum dots (QDs) cross-linked with photochromic diarylethene molecules with different end groups, 4,4′-(1-cyclopentene-1,2-diyl)bis[5-methyl-2-thiophenecarboxylic acid] (1C) and 4,4′-(1-cyclopentene-1,2-diyl)bis[5-methyl-2-thiophenethiocarboxylic acid] (2T). Our results show that the QDs cross-linked with the carboxylic acid end group molecules (1C) exhibit a greater amount of switching in photoluminescence intensity compared to QDs cross-linked with the thiocarboxylic acid end group (2T). We also demonstrate that regardless of the molecule used, greater switching amounts are observed for smaller quantum dots. Varying these parameters allows for the fabrication of photoswitches with tunable PL change. We relate these observations to the …

Reducing Short-Chain Pfas Levels In California Water Supplies, Manu Prabandham

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis proposes twelve specific policies based on precedents set by prior regulation of persistent organic pollutants (such as PCBs), the costs and benefits of short-chain PFAS, technologies available to remove and destroy short-chain PFAS, and the roles and limitations of California’s regulatory institutions. The twelve policies are chosen to be politically and financially feasible, effective at removing short-chain PFAS from water supplies, and equitable towards lower-income and minority Californians, who suffer the most from the consequences of PFAS and other environmental pollutants. The new definitions, education campaigns, studies, taxes, bans, standards, testing, and filtration systems proposed are intended to …