Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Physical And Biochemical Assessment Of Mexican Palo Verde Response To Chromium Toxicity, Yong Zhao

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the United States, about 1/3 of the 1400 superfund sites have been reported to be chromium contaminated, making chromium the second most common metal found in superfund chemical contamination sites. Chromium removal from soil has commonly been carried out via chemical, physical, and thermal processes. However, these methods are expensive and/or invasive to local ecosystems. In contrast to these techniques, phytoremediation (the use of plants to remove toxic substances from areas containing contamination at low or medium levels) appears to be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly process for chromium removal. However, most reports on chromium phytoremediation suggest that this …

Conversion Of Racemic Ibuprofen To (S)-Ibuprofen, David Chavez-Flores

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Ibuprofen is a common Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) sold as a racemic or equal mixture of (R) and (S) mirror-image enantiomers. Without patent protection, ibuprofen is an orphan drug even though one enantiomer, (S)-ibuprofen, provides relief three times faster than its racemic mixture with fewer side effects. The goal of this research was to develop a facile, environmentally benign (no waste of ibuprofen or catalysts), and inexpensive process to convert a commercially available racemic mixture of ibuprofen to the therapeutically active (S)-ibuprofen.

After many attempts, the most successful conversion of racemic ibuprofen to (S)-ibuprofen was the in situ racemization and …

Synthesis And Manufacture Of Photocrosslinkable Poly(Caprolactone)-Based 3d Scaffolds For Tissue Engineering Applications, Nathan Jonathan Castro

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

It is known that the body can efficiently repair hard tissue (bone) micro fractures by suturing the defect through the deposition of minerals resulting in an area that is stronger post-injury. Larger defects, however, generally cause more trouble since the body is incapable of repairing them. Bone defects can occur as a result of congenital abnormalities, trauma, or disease. Traditional methods for addressing these defects have involved the use of acellular cadaverous bone or autologous bone. Both contain innate problems associated with them; the former method can result in disease transmission, as well as very low integration with the host …

Titanium Niobium Nano Porous Materials: New Photocatalysts For Water Decontamination, Maryam Zarei Chaleshtori

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Water pollution is major environmental problem worldwide. Many common industrial organic compounds that make their way into water systems can be carcinogenic at trace levels and are difficult and costly to remove completely with conventional technologies. Because of this, authorities and researchers are trying to improve current water cleanup techniques.

Heterogeneous photocatalysts that accelerate the photocatalytic destruction of organic contaminants in water are a potentially inexpensive and highly effective way to remove both trace-level and saturated harmful compounds from industrial waste streams and drinking water. Titanium dioxide has the potential to completely mineralize organic compounds in water under ultraviolet light. …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Acetylenic Derivatives Of The Actinide Extractant (Aryl) N,N Di (Alkyl)Carbamoylmethylphosphine Oxide (Cmpo), Mario Ivan Baeza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

We have used the reaction between the sodium salt of (diaryl)-N,N-di-(isobutyl)carbamoylmethylphosphine oxides {[Aryl)2P=O][iBu2NC=O]CH}-Na+ and chloromethylacetylenes to produce the first acetylenic derivatives of the carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide (CMPO) actinide extractants. The new compounds - CMPO-CH2C2H (1) {aryl = phenyl}, (2) {aryl = tBu-phenyl}; CMPO-CH2C2Me (3) {aryl = phenyl}; and CMPO-CH2C2CH2Cl (4) {aryl = phenyl}, (5) {aryl = tBu-phenyl} - have been characterized by spectroscopy (1H, 13C, 32P NMR) and also by single crystal X-ray diffraction. These new extractants lead the way to new derivatives aimed at using the materials as both optical and electrochemical actinide and other metal sensors.

The Isotopological Homodesmotic Reaction: A Further Refinement To The Quantification Of Aromaticity, Marco Olguin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Aromaticity imparts a significant energetic stabilization to various chemical systems as a result of cyclic pi-electron delocalization. One of the most widely used methods for the quantification of the Aromatic Stabilization Energy (ASE) of a molecule is the formulation of a Homodesmotic reaction. The following research employs a refined Homodesmotic approach based on previous work by Herndon and Mills which utilized Isotopological Homodesmotic Reactions (IHR) to determine the Aromatic Stabilization Energy (ASE) of a flourenyl cation. The advantage of employing an IHR for an ASE calculation is that the strain energy contribution from the sigma framework of reactant and product …

Silica Removal From Brine By Using Ion Exchange, Carlos R. Acevedo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Local governments have been forced to look for additional water sources to satisfy the ever increasing demand for fresh water. Very often, the new water sources such as the underground water in continental territories have high salt content. Currently, reverse osmosis technology (RO) is one of the most common processes for water desalination. However, this process is limited by high silica and salt concentrations in water. At high concentrations silica clogs the membranes used in the RO process, reducing their life and increasing operational costs. In this study, quaternary ammonium resins and sulfonic acid resins were used to remove silica …

Microwave Assisted Solid-Supported Organic Synthesis: A Novel Methodology To Obtain 2,3-Disubstituted-1,4-Naphthoquinones, Israel Garcia-Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research focuses on the combinatorial solid phase organic synthesis (SPOS) of different bioactive compounds utilizing transition metal mediated reactions via microwave assisted organic synthesis (MAOS).

A microwave-assisted solid-supported Dötz benzannulation of chromium Fischer carbene complexes with various alkynes has been reported. The oxidative cleavage of the resulting resin-bound 1,4-naphthols affords 2,3-disubstituted-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives in good to moderate yields with high purities. We demonstrated that solid phase organic synthesis of naphthoquinones via conventional heating is limited due to their long reaction times and high temperatures. The products decompose leading to low yields and purities.2 Microwave assisted synthesis of these naphthoquinones will …

Salsola Kali (Tumbleweed): A Possible Biomonitoring Device For The Detection Of Airborne Heavy Metals, Tenoch Benitez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Vehicular congestion generates particulate matter and contaminants such as lead, cadmium, copper, chromium, nickel, and zinc which have been detected in the U.S.-Mexico border region. To overcome the inconvenience of expensive sampling techniques, scientists started to assess air quality by using bioindicator plants, a technique called biomonitoring. Biomonitoring is an inexpensive and environmentally friendly approach to determine inorganic contaminants at trace levels. The purpose of this project was to determine the effectiveness of tumbleweed (Salsola kali) plants, sprayed with chelating agents, as a passive monitoring device to determine the possible presence of heavy metals in the ambient air around international …

Lipid Metal Organic Networks, Maria Eugenia Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) first appeared in the literature in 1991 and consist of three dimensional structures constructed by linking transition metal ions together through highly directional bonding with organic ligands. MOF materials offer the ability to choose from variety of metal centers that allow the tailoring of optical or magnetic properties, as well as control, to some extent, the size of the coordination sphere. Another advantage is the numerous organic ligands form which suitable pore geometries may be constructed with customized functionality among many applications in other areas such a gas storage chemical separations and selective catalysis. The primary objective …

Transition Metal Catalysts For Hydrodesulfurization Reactions Applied To Petroleum Industry, Brenda Torres

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Catalysis plays a fundamental role in petroleum refining and basic petrochemical industries creating new routes in the development of industrial processes. Moreover, catalysis has become indispensable to the solution of environmental pollution problems and therefore on public health. World wide concerns for preservation of the environment has motivated the development of "Green" catalyst based technologies, to achieve a better utilization of petroleum resources and demands for cleaner transportation fuels. These environmental concerns have led to increasingly drastic regulations on sulfur, nitrogen and aromatics content in fuels. Sulfur content in the motor and diesel fuels is continuously reduced by regulations to …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Organic-Inorganic Colorants, Kiran A V Adiraju

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

New colorant materials have been found with the interaction of organic dyes and metal alkoxides. Changes in the hue are observed as indigo dye or thioindigo dyes are combined with the ASB (aluminum tri-secbutoxide), when compared to the original indigo or thioindigo dye, due to the binding and geometry change between dye and metal alkoxide. These dyes are combined with the ASB in two different methods of hydrolysis, namely in the air and in water. Similarly, when TTIP (Titanium tetraisopropoxide) is hydrolyzed using the sol gel process, along with the incorporation of thioindigo dye, hue changes were observed. X-ray diffraction …

Earth Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging And Paramagnetic Contrast Agents, Saideh Sadat Mortazavi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The goal of this research was to visualize the uptake of copper by plants to aid phyto-remediation research. The hypothesis was that regions of the plant with more copper will have an enhanced NMR signal using copper as a paramagnetic contrast agent.

As the name implies, Earth Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (EFMRI) spectrometry uses a magnetic field 300,000 times weaker than a 600 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer. Just like in conventional human MRI, this portable instrument is capable of recording one, two and three dimensional images though the sample size is much smaller.

The enhancement of signal was …

Pressure Induced Phase Transformation Of Sno2: An Ab Initio Constant Pressure Study, Daniel Tesfai Yehdego

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The behavior of SnO2 under rapid hydrostatic pressures is studied using constant-pressure ab initio simulations. The rutile-type SnO2 gradually transforms into the CaCl2-type structure at 15 GPa. At a pressure of about 20 GPa, a phase transformation into a cubic fluorite-type structure is observed. The orthorhombic Pnma cotunnite-structured phase is observed above 150 GPa. The mechanisms of these phase transformations at the atomistic level are discussed.

Towards More Reliable Extrapolation Algorithms With Applications To Organic Chemistry, Jaime Nava

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

One of the main objectives of science and engineering is to predict the results of different situations. For example, in Newton's mechanics, we want to predict the positions and velocities of different objects (e.g., planets) at future moments of time.

In this Thesis, as a case study, we take the problem of predicting the properties of new chemical substances. One of the main objectives of chemistry is to design new molecules (and, more generally, new chemical compounds) which are useful for various practical tasks. New substances have already resulted in new materials for buildings and for spaceships, new explosives and …

Observed Superspin-Glass Behavior In Ni0.5zn0.5fe2o4 Nanoparticles, Antony Adair

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this investigation we seek to identify the magnetic behavior of Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles though AC-susceptibility and DC-magnetization measurements. Powder x-ray diffraction was performed to determine the purity and average diameter ( ~ 9nm) of the particles. Aditionally, structure was confirmed by comparison through the International Centre for Diffraction Data's Powder Diffraction File [52] (PDF # 08-0234).

Zero-field cooled and field cooled DC magnetization measurements (bifurcation and blocking temperature), as well as M(H) hysteresis (below and above the blocking temperature) lead us to initially suggest that the material may in fact be superparamagnetic. However, further investigation of the real AC susceptibility …

Computational Modeling Studies Of The Structures And Properties Of Organotin(Iv) And Stannyl-Thioether Systems With Comparisons To X-Ray Crystallography, Michelle R. Stem Joseph

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Controlling the toxic effects of organotin(IV) compounds involves engineering the structure of the molecules to optimize their properties. Molecular engineering, coupled with improved capabilities to generate reliable computational optimization models (COMs), will enable researchers to have greater success at harnessing the highly specific cytotoxicity of organotins. For example, as the thio_n ligand phenyl groups were replaced with Cl atoms, the S-Sn intramolecularity was strengthened, the bond distance decreased, and the stannyl tetrahedral structure was deformed from its triphenyl conformation. With each substitution, conformation deformations lowered the damaging bioactivity levels of thio_n. Bonding various ligands to organotin(IV) compounds …

In-Vivo Delivery Of Dna Vaccines Using Metallo-Lipid Nanoparticles, Clarissa Sara Gomez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

There has been a rapidly growing area of research in the design and synthesis of molecules that self-organize in water to form functional nanosystems and due to the high interest in the area metal ligand complexes were tested as drug delivery systems with a Leishmania vaccine. Herein, we present the design, synthesis and functional activity of Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes that self-assemble in water to form spherical nanoscale structures that exhibit an affinity to bind DNA and deliver it into eukaryotic cells with a high percent efficiency in-vitro. In order to assess the effectiveness of these nanoparticles to deliver DNA …

Optical And Vibrational Spectroscopic Studies Of Synthetic Maya Pigments As A Function Of, Swati Kumar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Pigments developed by the Mayan civilization around 8th century, represent some of the most versatile pigments known to date. Several derivatives of these pigments are popular subjects of current research interest. This is due to the characteristic stability which is provided by a bonding mechanism between the dye and the clay. One such pigment "Maya Blue", a mixture of Indigo and Palygorskite, provides a dramatic background for murals and ceramics throughout Mesoamerica. Several research groups have devoted time and interest in unlocking its particular features.1-3

The work embodied in this Thesis is focused on the synThesis and characterization of three …

A Study Of The Interaction Of Thioindigo Dye, With Several Inorganic Host Materials, Alejandra Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Maya Blue has been the focus of numerous studies and is believed to be a mixture of palygorskite clay and indigo dye.^1,2 Several derivatives of this pigment have been developed with intriguing properties. For instance, the dye thioindigo reacts with the palygorskite clay to exhibit a broad range of colors from red to blue under UV-Vis excitation. Based on FT-Raman and computer simulation, previous work performed in our group could relate indigo and thioindigo interaction to the aluminum sites in the framework. super>3,4

The work performed with other inorganic host materials such as, layer structures and zeolites have …