Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Hypervalent Iodine Compounds With Halogen-Containing And Phosphinate Ligands, Yakun Cao

Chemistry Theses and Dissertations

In modern organic chemistry, hypervalent (HV) iodine(III) compounds have been used widely as oxidizing agents but applications of λ³-iodanes in polymer and material chemistry is still underexplored. In the first project, a new series of heterocyclic HV iodine(III) compounds with I–Cl bonds and various substituents at the N atom were synthesized and successfully employed in the synthesis of highly branched polymers when added to mixtures of styrene and 1,4-divinylbenzene containing 10–80 mol% of the divinyl crosslinker, or even pure crosslinker. HV iodine(III) also can be utilized for polymer modification. HV iodine(III) compounds with fluorine-containing ligands (F, CF_{3 …}

Adaptation Of Pt-Dna Binding Experiments Into A Multiweek Upperlevel Biochemistry Laboratory Activity, Keira Naff

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Platinum-based drugs are commonly used as anti-cancer therapeutics due to their abilities to bind to DNA and prohibit proliferation in cells. Although the concept of drug interactions within biomolecules is often introduced in undergraduate courses such as biochemistry and toxicology, there are very few laboratory activities that exist that provide undergraduate students with the opportunity to investigate this topic in the lab. During the Summer 2020 PRISM program, we worked to create a multi-week laboratory activity for upper-level biochemistry students focused on the investigation of the DNA binding abilities of common Pt anticancer therapeutics through biochemical modeling and wet laboratory …

Essays On Environmental And Health Economics., Prachi Singh Dr.

Doctoral Theses

This thesis consists of three empirical essays that investigate issues in environmental and health economics. The main focus of this thesis is to study how environmental degradation or interventions in this domain can affect demographic and health outcomes of the population in developing countries. The first chapter explores the effect of an information campaign about arsenic contamination in Bangladesh on marriage market outcomes. This study finds that providing information about negative effects of arsenic consumption had an unintended consequence in the marriage market. Specifically, information about lower fertility, skin lesions, cancers and higher mortality related to arsenic exposure induced individuals …

Iron Speciation In Pm2.5 From Urban, Agriculture, And Mixed Environments In Colorado, Usa, Joseph R. Salazar, David J. Pfotenhauer, Frank Leresche, Fernando L. Rosario-Ortiz, Michael P. Hannigan, Sirine C. Fakra, Brian Majestic

Chemistry and Biochemistry: Faculty Scholarship

Atmospheric iron solubility varies depending on whether the particles are collected in rural or urban areas, with urban areas showing increased iron solubility. In this study, we investigate if the iron species present in different environments affects its ultimate solubility. Field data are presented from the Platte River Air Pollution and Photochemistry Experiment (PRAPPE), aimed at understanding the interactions between organic carbon and trace elements in atmospheric particulate matter (PM). 24-hr PM2.5 samples were collected during the summer and winter (2016–2017), at three different sites on the Eastern Colorado plains: an urban, agricultural, and a mixed site. Downtown Denver had …

Analysis Of Dynamical Systems For Synthesis Of Phenobarbital, Mishal Ali

Annual Student Research Poster Session

The use of mathematical methods for the analysis of chemical reaction systems is one of the useful tools. Phenobarbital (a barbiturate type medication also called phenobarb) is a prescription drug used to control seizures, relieve anxiety, treat epilepsy (in some countries), and prevent withdrawal symptoms in people dependent on other barbiture drugs. We approaches it with matrix analysis and ODE system. It helps us understand the chemical stoichiometry of these synthesis reactions.

Supervisor: Prof. Seonguk Kim, PhD

Ultra-High Vibrational And Rotational Motion Of The Hf Molecule Via Infrared (Ir) Laser Excitation, Toria Tucker, Jingwei (Mike) Ling, Bridget Gourley

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Our goals this summer were to build on previous work in our group modeling ultra-high vibrational and rotational excitation in small molecules via unique pulse sequencing of an infrared (IR) laser. The system was modeled both using Fortran and Mathematica as programming languages. We were able to demonstrate that different numerical techniques for propagating coupled differential equations forward in time led to equivalent levels of vibrational excitation and allowed for identical visualization of molecular state probabilities as a function of time. Work including the rotational motion progressed to the point of being able to see both significant excitation when rotations …

A Brief Overview Of Analyzing Testing Procedures In The Quality Control Lab At Elanco Animal Health, Gina Fedrighi

Annual Student Research Poster Session

The study of testing procedures within the quality control lab was conducted at Elanco Animal Health through the summer internship program. The internship program focuses on the development of young professionals as research and manufacturing leaders in the pharmaceutical industry. The purpose of this project was to determine ways in which to save both time and money in the quality control lab through the study of various quality testing procedures. Quality Control plays a vital role in the manufacturing process in order to ensure quality of products and consistency between batches. It is important to improve upon the current testing …

Conceptualizing And Analyzing Metal-Organic Frameworks And The Role Of The Ionic Liquid, Sydney Forbes, Aaron Wills, Hilary Eppley

Annual Student Research Poster Session

The synthesis of Metal-Organic Frameworks, or MOFs, can be easily changed or manipulated simply by changing the solvent medium. The research focused primarily on the role ionic liquids (ILs) had in MOF synthesis. ILs can be defined as salts that are liquid at room temperature. IL ligands were found one of three ways in the final structure; either acting as the anion, cation, or neither and just acting as a medium for a reaction. This research primarily revolved around Cambridge Structural Database (CSD). The purpose of CSD was a way to look more closely at these crystalline structures from previous …

Visualizing And Analyzing Structures Of Coordination Polymers Synthesized In Ionic Liquids, Natalie Husby, Akane Inoue, Hilary Eppley

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Synthesis of metal organic frameworks can result in different products based on the solvent that is used. One option is to use ionic liquids (ILs, or room temperature molten salts) to create novel metal organic coordination polymers. Our group analyzed metal organic polymers synthesized in ILs with the goal of cataloging the topology of the structures, the connectivity of the organic ligands, and the roles of the ILs in the syntheses. We used Sci-Finder Scholar to find papers where compounds were synthesized using ILs, and determined whether the IL played the role as the cation, anion, or neither in the …

Synthesis And Design Of Novel Polymer Grafted Nanoparticles Relevant To Drug Delivery Vehicles For Biomedical Applications, Maan Abduldiyem Hassan Al-Ali

Theses and Dissertations

The modification of inorganic nanoparticles with organic polymer chains has become a significant field of study for the engineering of advanced nanocomposite materials. This dissertation presents the design, synthesis, and characterization of novel polymer grafted silica nanoparticles as new strategies to combat bacterial resistance. Described herein is the synthesis of monomers that have been graft polymerized onto silica nanoparticles that can be used as a delivery drug vehicle for biomedical applications. The polymerization of these monomers was performed via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The molecular design of the RAFT agents that are attached to the surfaces of the …

The Statue Of Liberty Laboratory Activity: The Chemistry Of Copper, Jihyun Kim, Marcus D. Allen

Open Educational Resources

In this lab activity we observe chemical changes of copper in acidic conditions, salt water, and a mixture of lemon juice and vinegar and salt, and we discuss whether the Statue of Liberty would hold as much cultural icon today had the Lady Statue remain the original shiny brown color.

Electrostatic Denaturation Of Dna-Cisplatin Adducts, Eddie Madrigal

Master's Theses

In this thesis, electrochemical approaches are used to determine the properties of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) by electrostatic denaturation. The electrochemical routine involves an application of a destabilization potential, an equilibration potential, and a square wave voltammogram (SWV) to monitor the extent of melting. Our method uses a monolayer consisting of thiol modified DNA and mercaptohexanol on a gold electrode. These electrodes are then incubated in a complementary sequence tagged with methylene blue. By using our electrostatic denaturation technique, different parameters are explored, such as surface densities, surface coverages, and ionic strengths. As proof of concept, these techniques were applied toward …

Visualization Without Vision – How Blind And Visually Impaired Students And Researchers Engage With Molecular Structures, Croix J. Laconsay, Henry B. Wedler, Dean J. Tantillo

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This article examines the tools and techniques currently available that enable blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals to visualize three-dimensional objects used in learning chemistry concepts. How BVI individuals engage with and visualize molecular structure is discussed and recent tactile (or haptic) and auditory methods for visualization of various chemistry concepts are summarized. Remaining challenges for chemistry education researchers are described with the aim of highlighting the potential value of educational research in further enabling BVI students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Dipicolinamide Ligands And Analogs For Lanthanides (Ln), Actinides (An) And Mercury (Hg) For Application To Nuclear Fuel Cycle Separations And Waste Management, Ingrid Lehman-Andino

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) – or used nuclear fuel (UNF) – contains long-lived minor actinides such as ²⁴¹Am, ²⁴⁵Cm, and ²³⁷Np, together with fission products that include lanthanides. Minor actinides are responsible for much of the radiotoxicity and heat generation that limits the capacity of geological repositories. Thus, removing minor actinides from UNF can reduce storage time required for decay to natural levels of activity by several orders of magnitude. Actinide(An)/Lanthanide(Ln) separation processes via solvent extraction by selective complexation with organic or aqueous ligands have to overcome difficulties due to similarities in their ionic radii for the …

I. Non-Degradable Polysiloxane Networks For Controlled Release Applications, And Ii. Additive Free, Degradable Silyl-Ether Furyl-Maleimide Networks, Caleb M. Bunton

Chemistry Theses and Dissertations

I. Two different series of non–degradable polysiloxane networks were prepared for the encapsulation and controlled release of a small molecule agent. For the first series, hydrosilylation was utilized to prepare networks of varying crosslink densities, as determined from swelling studies, from vinyl terminated and silylhydride functional poly(dimethyl)siloxanes. For the second series, the thiol-ene reaction was utilized to prepare networks of varying crosslink densities, as determined from swelling studies, from vinyl terminated and mercaptopropyl functional poly(dimethyl)siloxanes. Nile red dye was used as an encapsulated agent and dye release from each series of networks was measured using UV–vis spectroscopy to determine controllability …

Chemistry In Art: The Science Of Dye, Madeleine Gray Burland

Honors Projects

Fabric arts, and the practice of dyeing fabric using various resist techniques, is a tradition that goes back centuries, and is unique among art mediums in its relation to science, as the innovations in dye production have directly affected the art form. The development of synthetic dyes in the 1800’s greatly affected the way fabric is dyed, and subsequently the way clothes were made and consumed. As opposed to dyes made of natural materials, synthetic dyes cam in more colors, were brighter, easier to make in large quantities, and lasted longer since they didn’t fade with repeated washings. The practice …

Approaches Towards The Synthesis Of Ketamine Metabolites, Ann K. Patrick

Honors Theses

Major Depressive disorder (MDD) plagues society and stands at the forefront of research as MDD affects approximately 16% of the population. Pharmaceutical drugs, including the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have been used for MDD treatment and remain a popular option today. However, current antidepressant treatments have proven to be ineffective in just less than half of the patients. Research continues with the goal to better understand the mechanisms of the pathology of depression and to search for other treatment options. For example, the stress-neurogenesis hypothesis investigates the role of stress and decreased neuroplasticity within MDD.

Supporting the stress-neurogenesis hypothesis, …

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy For Cocaine Detection, Kiersten Jo Mead

Chemistry

The detection of drugs of abuse using Raman spectroscopy is of particular interest to forensic researchers at the moment. Raman spectroscopy is highly specific, fast, non-destructive, and can be adapted for in-situ measurements, making it the ideal forensic technique. Researchers working under the guidance of Doctor Igor Lednev have been able to use UV resonance Raman spectroscopy to detect cocaine in oral fluid without the need for sample pretreatment. They were however unable to detect the cocaine at forensically relevant levels. To overcome this limitation, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was used in this proof of concept study for the detection …

Towards The Development Of Low-Cost And Easily-Deployable Sensing Platforms For Phosphate, Maureen Pontarelli, Thomas Koch

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Scholarship

Maureen Pontarelli ’20
Major: Chemistry

Thomas Koch '20
Major: Biochemistry

Faculty Mentor: Dr. John Breen, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Exploration Of K2 Mycobacteriophages With Bred​, Colby Agostino, Olivia Schmitt

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Scholarship

Colby Agostino ’22
Major: Biochemistry and Computer Science

Olivia Schmitt ’22
Major: Biochemistry

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kathleen A. Cornely, Chemistry and Biochemistry

ZoeJ and Marcoliusprime are mycobacteriophage capable of infecting tuberculosis causing bacteria via the lytic and lysogenic cycles. The lytic cycle is the form of viral replication that results in cell death. Lysogeny involves phage DNA being integrated with the DNA of the host cell and preserved through binary fission. However, the bacteria causing tuberculosis do not die in the lysogenic phase. This research project will involve creating mutants of ZoeJ and Marcoliusprime that will not contain the genes …

Mycobacteriophage Morphology As A Diagnostic For Cluster Assignment, Ethan Dionne

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Scholarship

Major: Biochemistry

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kathleen A. Cornely, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Phages are viral bodies that infect bacterial hosts, and have shown promising applications as alternatives to antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial infections. This project examines the morphology of siphoviridae mycobacteriophage, which have long, flexible, non-contractile tails as well as the characteristic head, called a capsid. Using electron microscopy photos of sequenced phages, tail length and capsid diameter were measured and compared to further characterize morphological relationships between genetically distinct phages. The data presented has the potential to work as a diagnostic tool to classify unsequenced phages to genetically …

Breakthroughs In Obtaining Qm/Mm Free Energies, Phillip S. Hudson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The computation of free energy is pivotal to understanding the fundamental nature of chemical phenomena. That is, whether a specific molecular outcome occurs spontaneously or is inherently unfavorable. The need to do this with consistent accuracy begs for the use of quantum mechanical (QM) methods. However, techniques for directly computing free energy differences with QM or mixed QM/MM methods are untenable, as the computational expense is quite exorbitant. At present, the most feasible approach for obtaining QM/MM free energies is employing the so-called indirect cycle, which relies on accurately computing free energy differences between low (e.g., molecular mechanical, MM) and …

Research And Review Of Polymethyl-Methacrylate Copolymers In The Development Of Enhanced Pharmaceutical Delivery Systems, Jake Dyess

Senior Honors Theses

The following thesis shall primarily explore the current research regarding the implementation of modifiable microscopic and nanoscopic polymer particles as novel pharmaceutical delivery systems. Polymethacrylate-based copolymers, such as Eudragit^TM, are sensitive to alterations in pH levels, becoming increasingly more soluble in response to an increase in pH. The selective solubility and modifiable nature of these polymers allows for greater flexibility of treatment options for patients (Patra et al., 2017). The wide range of functionality of polymethacrylate (PMA) may provide solutions to challenges relating to the current treatment and therapy of certain conditions. Research indicates that PMA based micro- …

Computation Of Atmospheric Concentrations Of Molecular Clusters From Ab Initio Thermochemistry, Tuguldur T. Odbadrakh, Ariel G. Gale, Benjamin T. Ball, Berhane Temelso, George C. Shields

Chemistry Publications

The computational study of the formation and growth of atmospheric aerosols requires an accurate Gibbs free energy surface, which can be obtained from gas phase electronic structure and vibrational frequency calculations. These quantities are valid for those atmospheric clusters whose geometries correspond to a minimum on their potential energy surfaces. The Gibbs free energy of the minimum energy structure can be used to predict atmospheric concentrations of the cluster under a variety of conditions such as temperature and pressure. We present a computationally inexpensive procedure built on a genetic algorithm-based configurational sampling followed by a series of increasingly accurate screening …

Periodic Table Club, Makayla Gill, Kailynn Jensen

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

This club is dedicated to teaching the generation of future scientists the periodic table. This is designed to be a unique take on a STEM club that uses the periodic table as a backbone for a solid foundation in chemistry.

Comparative Analysis Of The Human Serine Hydrolase Ovca2 To The Model Serine Hydrolase Homolog Fsh1 From S. Cerevisiae, Jessica S. Bun, Michael D. Slack, Daniel E. Schemenauer, R. Jeremy Johnson

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Over 100 metabolic serine hydrolases are present in humans with confirmed functions in metabolism, immune response, and neurotransmission. Among potentially clinically relevant but uncharacterized human serine hydrolases is OVCA2, a serine hydrolase that has been linked with a variety of cancer-related processes. Herein, we developed a heterologous expression system for OVCA2 and determined the comprehensive substrate specificity of OVCA2 against two ester substrate libraries. Based on this analysis, OVCA2 was confirmed as a serine hydrolase with a strong preference for long-chain alkyl ester substrates (>10-carbons) and high selectivity against a variety of short, branched, and substituted esters. Substitutional analysis …

Data For "Hydrogeologic And Geochemical Distinctions Within Freshwater Brine Systems In Salar Environments", Lee Ann Munk, David F. Boutt, Brendan Moran, Sarah Mcknight, Jordan Jenckes

Data and Datasets

All chemistry and striontium isotope data for the study, "Hydrogeologic and Geochemical Distinctions within Freshwater Brine Systems in Salar Environments".

Identifying The Effects Of Alum Treatment On Water And Sediment Chemistry Of Two Lakes In Pierce County, Washington, Colin Glaze

Summer Research

Many freshwater and marine ecosystems are affected by hazardous algal blooms (HABs) each year, and the number is rising. In most cases, the main cause of HABs is nutrient loading from anthropogenic sources, and often, the overloaded nutrient is phosphorus. To combat these HABs, alum treatment is commonly used. Alum treatment is the use of aluminum sulfate, which binds to phosphorus, effectively lowering the levels of free phosphorus and thus reducing algal growth. However, alum can also have adverse effects on water and sediment chemistry. Within Pierce County, Wapato and Waughop lakes present a unique opportunity to study the effects …

Majestic - Prappe Metals Data, Brian Majestic

Chemistry and Biochemistry: Data Sets

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Into The History, Science, And Future Of Dental Filling Materials, Natalia Kaczor

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.