Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

X-Panding Halogen Bonding Interactions: Hybrid Cocrystals Composed Of Ionic Halides, Iodine And Organoiodines, Khadijatul Kobra

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Halogen bonding referred to as an attractive, noncovalent interaction between an electrophilic region of a halogen atom X (acts as Lewis acid) and a nucleophilic region of a molecule Y (acts as Lewis base). Such interactions and the resulting polymeric networks play an important role in many fields related to crystal engineering, including for example, the fabrication of liquid crystals and novel drug design. The application of halogen bonding has particular promise in biological systems by increasing the lipophilicity of drugs to improve penetration through lipid membranes and tissues, enabling better intracellular delivery.

Based on this concept, my research at …

Development Of Capillary-Channeled Polymer (C-Cp) Fiber As Stationary Phase For Biological Sample Application, Lei Wang

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Capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) fibers as an alternative support/stationary phase for biomacromolecule separations on analytical and preparative scales have been developed by Marcus research group. The combination of the fiber micro- and macro-structures and in-column orientation allows operation at comparably high linear velocities (~100 mm s-1) without excessive system backpressure. The ability to move fluid efficiently through the structure is complemented by the fact that the fiber physical structure is effectively nonporous with respect to the size of proteins, therefor there is no significant intrafiber diffusion. Ultimately, these factors combine for protein separations that are devoid of appreciable van Deemter C-term …

Nano-Scintillators As Next Generation Tools For Optogenetics, Ashley Dickey

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Optogenetics is a technique that is used to study neural pathways and has the ability to activate or silence synaptic behavior using visible light. Currently, the visible light sources used for optogenetics are surgically implanted into the brain tissue, but this harmful and invasive technique may be avoided if suitable scintillating nanoparticles can be inserted via injection. The proposed nano-scintillator particles must adhere to rigorous parameters including being under 100 nm, uniform, nontoxic, and dispersible to be successful in this biological system. The phase, crystallinity, and dopant concentration must be optimized to absorb X-ray radiation and emit photons of the …