Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

New Ways To Improve Dispersibility Of Nanotubes: Approaching From The Formation Of Silicon Nanoparticles By High Energy Reactive Ball Milling (Herbm) In Polar Solvents, Julie P. Vanegas, Yolanda V. Gutierrez, Joaquin Rivera, Juan García Jr.

Research Symposium

Background: This research aims to synthesize stable silicon nanoparticles using different molar ratios of N-Cyclohexyl-2-pyrrolidone (CHP) and Silicon to demonstrate if there is any significance towards the production of effective nanotubes. To determine this, the synthesized nanoparticles will be characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV visible absorption spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL).

Methods: 50 Mg of silicon wafer are added with differing ratios of ligand (CHP), 5mL of water, and 3 steel iron balls into a ball milling vial. Vials are then placed into a ball milling apparatus for 7 cycles or 3.5 hours. Once the cycles are complete, …

Quantitation Of Female Newt Tetrodotoxin Concentrations And Their Impact In The Newt-Garter Snake Evolutionary Arms Race, Anna Frey, David Green Dr., Lee Kats Dr., Gary Bucciarelli Dr.

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

As this work is not yet published, the authors have requested the removal of the abstract.

Investigation Of Unexpected Purple Substance Extracted From Newsprint Paper [Poster], Raquel Wilhelm, Shoshanna Coon, Kirk Manfredi

Research in the Capitol

In an attempt to extract a green dye from newsprint advertisements, it was serendipitously discovered that a purple substance can be extracted from newsprint paper using methanol or acetic acid. Further investigations involving blank newsprint paper showed that the purple substance was a part of the paper itself rather than a component of the ink in the advertisements. Soxhlet extraction was used on the blank newspaper print to obtain the compound. Using different analytical instruments, characteristics of the compound can be determined such as the elemental composition, molar mass, and structure. The ultimate goal is to determine the compound and …

Development Of An Lcms Method To Detect And Quantify Curcumin In A Novel Oral Formulation Of Turmeric, Brandon Renninger

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Contact Angle & Electrochemical Measurements Of Metallic Atmospheric Corrosion On Copper And Carbon Steel, Jacob J.M. Bunting, Jiju M. Joseph, Heng-Yong Nie, Samantha M. Gateman

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Understanding atmospheric corrosion has been incredibly challenging due to the complex interplay between surface microstructures, environmental variables, and electrochemical processes. The methodology presented is being developed to apply to atmospheric corrosion models of metals and other advanced materials by observing the change in contact angle in situ as a function of corrosion parameters. Performed contact angle measurements on two industrially relevant metals (copper and carbon steel) over a 1 min to 30-day time span to track the change in wettability due to the formation of an air-formed oxide layer (aged) as a function of surface roughness.

Simple And Fast Fabrication Methodology For Platinum And Carbon Ultramicroelectrodes (Ume) In Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (Secm), Emma Mae Lord, Jiju Joseph, Samantha M. Gateman, Zhifeng Ding

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) is a highly versatile method for measuring and imaging a wide range of systems. When paired with an intricately made ultramicroelectrode (UME) probe, SECM becomes an even more powerful tool for imaging microscale features in a system. However, purchasing these UME’s comes at a high cost with less ability for modification. Having high quality UME’s expands the ability of SECM and enables precise measuring and imaging in a wide range of applications such as solar cells in Dr. Ding’s lab, and corroding metals in Dr. Gateman’s lab. To combat this issue of high cost and set …

Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy Analysis Of Native American Pottery For Maple Syrup Residue [Poster], Alexis Wirtz, Joshua Sebree Ph.D., Donald Gaff Ph.D.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

The research conducted regards whether or not Native Americans understood how to create maple syrup before the influence of Europeans. Through the usage of Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS), the identity of different maple syrup organic residues within pottery can be determined.¹ These organic residues tell us more about Native American history and culture. An analysis of organic residues was performed on the following types of pottery: proof of concept and weathered (an analog of the proof of concept). Organic residues were able to be identified within the proof of concept but not in the weathered pottery. This research also …

X-Ray Crystallographic Analysis Of Quinoline N-Oxide And Isoquinoline N-Oxide With Zinc Halides, Nitrates, Perchlorates., Erin N. Groneck

GS4 Georgia Southern Student Scholars Symposium

We have worked to analyze the chemistry between aromatic N-oxides, Quinoline N-oxide and Isoquinoline N-oxide, with zinc halides, nitrates, and perchlorates by X-ray crystallography. These structures were formed by reaction of the aromatic N-oxides with an equivalent of the zinc halide, nitrate, or perchlorate. These N-oxides had been chosen due to being the focus of this study. We will present the crystallographic X-ray structures of the synthesized novel complexes of the N-oxides with either a zinc halide, zinc nitrate, and zinc perchlorate.

Temporal Changes And Possible Sources Of Dissolved Calcium Levels In Stream, River, And Lake Waters In Western Kentucky, Kelsie Meystedt

Scholars Week

ABSTRACT

Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are an exotic and invasive mollusk that spread extensively over various rivers and lakes in the United States. These mussels are known for being notorious in their “biofouling” capabilities, costing the U.S. government billions of dollars in removal operations. Recently, zebra mussel colonies were found in Kentucky Lake possibly due to human activities increasing the salinity of today’s freshwater resources. The increase in salinity from human activities may have adversely affected the ecosystems and water supplies. The Specific aim of this study was to determine the temporal trend of dissolved calcium in Kentucky Lake …

Wastewater-Based Estimation Of Substances Discharged At The Rest Areas Along The State Highways In Kentucky, Katherine E. Gray, Eugene Shin, Tyler Whitt, Andrew Windhorst, Houston Hampton, Chris Delcher, Bikram Subedi

Posters-at-the-Capitol

The availability of licit and illicit stimulants and its adverse consequences on public health has emerged as a major drug threat to communities in the United States. Despite several drug-involved traffic incidents along the interstate highways, this report represents the first comprehensive and quantitative report of drugs discharged at the rest areas along the interstate highways. In this National Institute of Justice-funded study, the amount of several discharged drugs focusing on stimulants but also including opioids and prescription antipsychotics are being measured in raw wastewater collected from five rest areas and a truck servicing facility using a state-of-the-art mass …

Corrosion Prevention On Aluminum Alloy, Andrea Brenner

Symposium of Student Scholars

Aluminum alloy (Al-alloy) is a widely used metal in construction, aerospace, aviation, and other necessary fields due to its lightweight and tweakable properties. However, corrosion is inevitable on metals and alloys, and that causes millions of dollars of revenue loss every year. Therefore, we propose to research fabricating coating to prevent corrosion on Al-alloy. This study uses an iron-based metal-organic framework (MOF) and polyurethane (PU) based composite coating to prevent corrosion on the Al-alloy. The makeup of the composite material is changed by varying the percentage of MOF. In addition, a binder is also used to enhance the homogenization between …

Impact Of The Water Content In The Therapeutic Deep Eutectic Solvents, Noam Lewit, James Stewart, Oluseyi Olawuyi, Mohammed A. Halim

Symposium of Student Scholars

Deep eutectic solvent(s) (DES) are the new generation of greener and more sustainable solvents, formulated by the complex of hydrogen bond in the molecules. The solvents allow us to achieve a significantly lower freezing point compared to its components, an affordable formulation and a technology that is typically formulated to improve the bioavailability of a drug. In this research project, we synthesized an ibuprofen-menthol based therapeutic deep eutectic solvent and investigated how water content affects the structure and dynamics of the solvent. For synthesizing the ibuprofen-menthol DES, 2.0629 g of Ibuprofen and 4.6881 g of menthol were placed in a …

Analysis Of Kavalactones In Various Consumptive Kava Samples Using Gc-Ms, Stephanie O'Kon

Symposium of Student Scholars

Piper Methysticum, or Kava, is a plant native to the Pacific Islands and is used in various ceremonial and cultural aspects. In the United States, Kava has many dietary forms from sleep aids to mood boosters. The active ingredients found in Kava roots, kavalactones, give users psychoactive effects. However, there are concerns regarding toxicity and unknown safety consumption limits. There are six major kavalactones, and possibly more that have been reported, but not fully researched. The one of interest in this study is kavain. Different solvents, diethyl ether and acetone, have been used in extracting kavalactones from cut kava root. …

Lithium Dubbed Cspbbr3 Perovskite Nanocrystals, Siena Idoine

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

No abstract provided.

The Reactivity Of Metal Phosphites: Oxidative Rate Analysis, Jamie Kitchens

Symposium of Student Scholars

Phosphorous compounds are involved in many of the biomolecular processes deemed fundamental for life. DNA, ATP, and phospholipids are a few of the molecules where phosphates can be found in the body. Phosphates are geochemically characterized by their low solubility and poor reactivity. This has led to the investigation of reaction mechanisms that could lead to the formation of the phosphorous compounds found in organisms. The oxidation of phosphite into phosphate could be how phosphates were introduced to life, due to phosphites being more soluble and more reactive than phosphates. We will present the synthesis and oxidation reactivity of four …

Electrochemical And Spectroscopic Characterization Of Cerium Salts And Nanoceria Material, Emily Velarde, Wei Zhou

Symposium of Student Scholars

The nanoscale form of cerium oxide, nanoceria (nano-CeO_x), has drawn great attention in recent years in electrochemical, nanomaterial research and medicinal studies due to its antibacterial properties, UV absorption, and its biochemical function as possible radical scavenger. Many new synthesis methods have achieved uniform and biocompatible nanoceria particles, and our lab has created cerium oxide particles that shows UV/Vis. absorption and X-ray patterns similar to the commercial nanoceria and nanoceria made in other research laboratories with novel synthetic methods.

This study focuses on charactering and comparing electrochemical properties of cerium inorganic salts and synthesized nanoceria. Preliminary results …

Bioanalytical Determination Of Glucose Concentration In Sports Drinks Using Uv/Vis Spectroscopy, Laney Hedgeman, Brianna Bond

Symposium of Student Scholars

Abstract

The purpose of our project is to indirectly monitor the enzymatic activity of glucose oxidase as it reacts with the glucose present in sports drinks through the quantitative analysis of the generated ferricyanide. As glucose oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of beta-D-glucose in the presence of oxygen, D-glucono-1,5-lactone is produced along with hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide is used in a subsequent reaction with ferrocyanide catalyzed by horse radish peroxidase to produce water and the chromophore ferricyanide. This compound absorbs in the ultraviolet/visible spectrum at 420 nm, which can be quickly measured using Ultraviolet/Visible Spectroscopy. Since the molar ratio of …

Experimental And Theoretical Investigation Of Regioselectivity For A Series Of Ketoimines With Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy And Density Functional Theory, Amanda Stahl, Joseph M. Fritsch, Kelsey R. Brereton

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

A series of ketoimines bearing pendant quinolyl substituents were prepared by Schiff base condensation of 1,3-diketones with two different substituents: trifluoromethyl and an alkyl/aryl group (e.g., Me, Et, ⁱPr,^tBu, Ph. Synthetic reactions of ketoimines with varying alkyl/aryl substituents altered the distribution of regioisomers as measured in isolated yields and detected by ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy of crude reaction mixtures. Reaction with the least sterically encumbered diketone (CF₃with Me) resulted in mixture of ketoimines with virtually quantitative formation of the ketoimine resulting from quinolyl addition to the carbonyl adjacent to the alkyl substituent. …

Development Of A Rapid Drug Detection Method For Insects Using Paper Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (Psi-Ms), Alexandria Plyler

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

Insects have the ability to reflect the chemical environment that they have developed in. Thus, necrogenous insects can reflect the chemical environment of cadavers they have fed on. Forensic scientists can potentially utilize insect larvae as an alternate biological matrix to detect drugs in cadavers that are skeletonized, burned, or otherwise badly damaged. Analysis of insects using paper spray ionization mass spectrometry (PSI-MS), an analytical method requiring little to no sample preparation, could prove a rapid, cost-effective, and non-destructive alternative form of toxicological analysis. Traditional tissue analysis via GC and LC-MS often require lengthy sample preparation, use expensive reagents, and …

Determination Of Atrazine In Glacier Creek Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Spencer Witte

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Atrazine is a commonly used herbicide in agriculture that has been shown to cause adverse health-effects on biological organisms. Glacier Creek Preserve (GCP), a prairie preserve near Omaha, NE, contains restored prairie and agricultural land uses within a single watershed. Surface water samples were collected at various locations of GCP from May to July to quantify atrazine concentrations. Sample preparation included filtering with a 0.45 micron filter and solid-phase extraction (SPE) with a reversed-phase cartridge. The analyte was eluted off the cartridge with ethyl acetate and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Quantitation was performed with an internal standard calibration …

Analysis Of Petroleum Products For Forensic And Environmental Applications, Sarah Ghali, Sarah Porter

2020 Virtual Spring Student Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

In both forensic and environmental applications, it is often important to identify ignitable liquid (IL) residues, to find a suspect or to clean up an oil spill. The ASTM method is commonly used; the extraction methods vary, but the data collection is the same. The instrument used in the ASTM method is gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), which allows a visual identification of the IL contaminating the sample. In this study, the use of Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) was used in conjunction with chemometric analysis. Samples were prepared were to simulate an oil spill in natural waters. Two chemometric …

Analysis Of Phenolic Compounds In Moroccan Olive Oils By Hplc, Hannah Meyls, Sarah Porter

2020 Virtual Spring Student Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Five extra virgin olive oils collected from farms in Morocco were analyzed for phenolic compounds. To complement these data, the chemical composition of the olive oils were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Several phenolic compounds were identified and quantified in the olive oils. Specifically, levels of oleuropein and luteolin were quantified in the low mg/kg range, and qualitative comparisons were made between the oil samples for tyrosol, vanillic acid, and apigenin. To compare extraction efficiency of different extraction solvents, methanol and DMF were used.

Design, Construction, And Characterization Of A Combined Mini-Co₂/Voc Sensor And Gas Chromatograph For Field Research, Rishi Basdeo, Michael Hampton

Digital Repository: Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence

No abstract provided.

Near Real-Time Determination Of The Prevalence Of Cannabinoids, Cathinones, And Synthetic Opioids, Catherine O'Rourke, Bikram Subedi

Scholars Week

Unregulated new psychoactive substances (NPS) in “pure” or “preparation” forms are designed to mimic the effects of controlled substances, and are introduced and reintroduced in the market as a cheap substitute of established regulated drugs in quick succession to loophole the law enforcement efforts on combating drugs. For example, carfentanil, a synthetic opioid activates the opioid receptors similar to morphine but it is astoundingly potent compared to a typical drug of abuse (100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more powerful than morphine). Based on the cost- and time-intensive forensic analysis, National Drug Early Warning System reported the …

Determination Of Cannabinoids, Cathinones, And Synthetic Fentanyls Using Wastewater-Based Epidemiology, Catherine O'Rourke, Bikram Subedi

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Unregulated new psychoactive substances (NPS) in “pure” or “preparation” forms are designed to mimic the effects of controlled substances, and are introduced and reintroduced in the market as a cheap substitute for established regulated drugs in quick succession to loophole the law enforcement efforts on combating drugs. For example, carfentanil, a synthetic opioid activates the opioid receptors similar to morphine but it is astoundingly potent compared to a typical drug of abuse (100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more powerful than morphine). Based on the cost- and time-intensive forensic analysis, National Drug Early Warning System reported the …

Heavy Metal Detection With Bismuth Film Electrode, Jen Olivero, Iain Laprade, Gabby Servito

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

The purpose of this project is to extend the application of stripping square-wave voltammetry to allow for the detection of various heavy metals in water samples, to include lead, cadmium, and zinc contaminants. Glassy carbon bismuth film electrodes proved to be more reliable than screen printed carbon electrodes for detection of heavy metals. Parameters were optimized to allow for the quantification of lead, zinc, and cadmium simultaneously in tap water along with an unknown Fromm water sample. Cadmium and thallium were found to be present at the same potential on the voltammogram; this prevented simultaneous detection of both metals. Bismuth …

Effect Of Salt Concentration On Electrochemical Detection Of Dna, Ziming Dong, Eddie Madrigal, Ryan West Dr.

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

Electrochemical approaches for biological sensing offer the potential advantages of facile sample preparation, fast response times, ease of parallel and multiplexed measurements, and the possibility of miniaturization (of sample sizes, electrodes, and associated electronics). All of these factors contribute towards the feasibility of electrochemical methods in biological sensing and analysis. This potential has already been achieved with the commercialization of blood glucose meters, which often rely on an electrochemical transduction mechanism. We have previously demonstrated the ability to electrochemically detect and differentiate complementary and mismatched DNA using our method of melting DNA duplexes at electrified gold surfaces, i.e. e-melting. Recently, …

The Effects Of Ph On The Kinetics Of The Follow-Up Reaction Of Dopamine O-Quinone, Cyril Fong, Ziming Dong

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

The electrochemical studies of dopamine have been conducted for many years due to dopamine’s importance as a neurotransmitter and its function in daily life for individuals. Dopamine undergoes electrochemical redox reactions in which the different products can be detected by cyclic voltammetry.³ The focus of the experiments was to determine the pH range at which dopamine o-quinone would undergo cyclization as well as the relationship between the rate of cyclization as pH in the physiological range. The measurements were taken using a gold working electrode vs. a Ag/AgCl (1 M KCl) reference electrode. It was observed that the peaks …

Hour-Level Resolution On Consumption Pattern Of Substance Abuse, Jarrett Mauk, Rhiannon Huffines, Brittney Nelson, Tara Croft, Bikram Subedi

Scholars Week

Conventional survey-based approaches of determining the consumption statistics of drugs in communities are suffered from non-response biases, and typically underestimate the actual consumption. Time and cost-intensive conventional approaches, therefore, can’t be utilized to determine high-resolution temporal variability in drug consumption. In this study, the temporal trend of consumption of 10 illicit and 26 prescribed neuropsychiatric drugs was determined at hour-level resolution utilizing wastewater-based epidemiology. The hourly composite raw wastewater (every 10 minutes) samples were collected for three consecutive days in a typical week (total of 72 samples), analyzed for target drug residues using UPLC-MS/MS, and back-calculated the consumption rate of …

Uncertainties Treatment For Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Estimation Of The Consumption Of Illicit And Prescribed Neuropsychiatric Drugs In Two Urban Communities In Kentucky Using Ammonium Normalized Population And Monte Carlo Simulation, Rhinannon Huffines, Tara Croft, Manoj Pathak, Bikram Subedi

Scholars Week

The conventional estimation of the prevalence of substance use in a community based on self-reported surveys typically underestimates the actual consumption. Drug’s residues in raw wastewater collected from the centralized wastewater treatment plants were utilized – Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) – to determine the consumption rate of illicit and prescribed neuropsychiatric residues in two urban communities in eastern Kentucky and two rural communities in western Kentucky. The ammonical nitrogen content in raw wastewater samples was used to minimize the uncertainty associated with the population dynamicity. Uncertainties associated with the several WBE parameters to back-calculate the consumption rate of drugs such as …