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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Solvent Free Vanadium Mediated Organic Transformations, Garrett Oberst Jan 2016

Solvent Free Vanadium Mediated Organic Transformations, Garrett Oberst

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

A mixture of vanadium(V) oxide and copper sulfate was used to catalyze oxidative transformations in a variety of organic compounds. Multiple functionalities were tested, including thiols, amines and alcohols. Various transformations were observed resulting in various oxidized products, including coupling reactions. Reactions were performed in a solvent-free environment due to the insoluble nature of vanadium(V) oxide in common organic solvents. Results were analyzed using HNMR and GCMS.


Chiroptical Ionic Liquids, Benjamin Zercher Jan 2016

Chiroptical Ionic Liquids, Benjamin Zercher

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The synthesis and fluorescent analysis of chiral light emitting ionic liquids made from lanthanide-doped chiral amino acid ionic liquids is described in this thesis. The ionic liquids were composed of tetrabutylammonium (TBA) cation with enantiomers of the amino acids valine, proline, and aspartate as anionic counterions. These ionic liquids of varying amino acid composition were doped with europium trifluoromethanesulfonate (triflate) and analyzed by circularly polarized luminescence (CPL). The sign of the CPL signal corresponded to the handedness of the amino acids in the ionic liquids. Europium triflate concentration dependent CPL in both [TBA][Val] and [TBA][L-Pro] ionic liquids was measured from …


Substrate Specificity Of The Lipn Hydrolase From Mycobacterium Ulcerans, Stephanie Raynor Jan 2016

Substrate Specificity Of The Lipn Hydrolase From Mycobacterium Ulcerans, Stephanie Raynor

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Mycobacterium ulcerans is the causative agent of Buruli ulcer, a tropical skin disease that affects thousands of individuals annually. Recent studies have revealed that lipolytic enzymes are involved in the pathogenicity processes of mycobacterium and could be potential targets for novel antibiotics. LipN is one proposed serine hydrolase in Mycobacterium ulcerans that contains the conserved α/β hydrolase protein fold and utilizes the conserved catalytic traid of serine, histidine, and aspartate/glutamate. The physiological substrate and biological role of LipN from M. ulcerans have not yet been determined. In this study, LipN was cloned into a pET28a plasmid and overexpressed in an …


Characterization Of Esterase Activity From The Bacteria, Francisella Tularensis, The Causative Agent Of Tularemia, Leigh Anna Weston May 2011

Characterization Of Esterase Activity From The Bacteria, Francisella Tularensis, The Causative Agent Of Tularemia, Leigh Anna Weston

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Francisella tularensis is the bacteria responsible for causing the disease tularemia and is listed as one of the top three-biowarfare agents. Among the proteins essential to the virulence and infectivity of F.tularensis are multiple esterases, which are enzymes that break down various ester, thioester, and amide bonds. In this project, the catalytic activity, substrate speci fi city, and structure of a putative esterase from F.tularensis was studied. Latent fluorophores based on the molecule, fluorescein, were unmasked by the enzymatic activity of the esterase and the increase in fluorescence was measured over time to determine how well the e tcrase recognized …


Development Of A Green Method For Amide Synthesis, Megan Ruth Darragh May 2011

Development Of A Green Method For Amide Synthesis, Megan Ruth Darragh

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The aim of this work was to determine the scope and limitations of using microwave technology, solvent-free conditions and green chemistry-applicable solid supports for amide synthesis. We hypothesize that the method developed by Comerford et al [12] may be applicable to other solid support systems already in use (silica, fly ash, and alumina), and that combined with the use of microwave technology, green and efficient synthesis of varied amides and other dehydration reaction products may be possible. These methods should show application to undergraduate, organic chemistry laboratories as well as large-scale production laboratories.


Dihydropyran Formation By A Two Step Process, James Zachary Wright Apr 2010

Dihydropyran Formation By A Two Step Process, James Zachary Wright

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The 2, 6-disubstitued dihydropyran is produced by a two step process, involving a Suzuki Miyaura Cross Coupling reaction followed by anintramolecular ring closing Michael Addition reaction. In this project a vinyl boronic acid, 6-(2-phenylethenyl)-2-hydroxy-I,2-oxaborole, was coupled with cis-ethyl-iodo-acrylate to yield ethyI 2E, 4Z, 8E-9-phenyl-7-hydroxy-2, 4, 8-nonatrienoate, which is capable of undergoing an intramolecular Michael addition to form the dihydropyran. The geometry of the cis enolate and the conjugated double bonds of the coupled product are such that under basic conditions a Michael addition is feasible. Throughout the project, the reaction conditions for high yields of Suzuki product were determined. Dihydropyrans …


Solid Phase Amide Synthesis Using Staudinger-Vilarrasa Coupling And Microwave Irradiation, Ryan Patrick Schmidtz May 2009

Solid Phase Amide Synthesis Using Staudinger-Vilarrasa Coupling And Microwave Irradiation, Ryan Patrick Schmidtz

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Amide bond formation is an already well documented area of organic chemistry, and is very useful in its application in medicine and pharmaceuticals. However, current methods have not been investigated with regards to optimization of reaction times, solvents, and energy sources. In addition, current methods also utilize toxic solvents to cleave the peptide from the solid phase resin. In our study, we combine the Staudinger and Vilarrasa coupling reactions with microwave irradiation to develop and optimize the synthesis of amide bonds through the use of a solid support. Instead of attaching the peptide to the solid support, our amide bond …


Investigating Ring Closing Metathesis Product Favorability By Varying The Alkyne Substituent On A Dienyne, Meagan E. Hinze May 2009

Investigating Ring Closing Metathesis Product Favorability By Varying The Alkyne Substituent On A Dienyne, Meagan E. Hinze

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Diene metathesis, which is also known as an olefin metathesis, has been very important for the development of synthetic strategies in organic chemistry since it's inception in the 1950s. The olefin metathesis reaction is when two alkenes exchange the carbons on their double bonds, thus producing two new carbon□arbon double bonds.


Optimization Of A Polydimethylsiloxane Based Passive Sampler Of Common Household Volatile Organic Compounds, Jennifer Lynn Osborne May 2009

Optimization Of A Polydimethylsiloxane Based Passive Sampler Of Common Household Volatile Organic Compounds, Jennifer Lynn Osborne

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Dangerous volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, can accumulate as indoor air pollution within homes causing health problems in the habitants. In order to determine the concentration of VOCs in such areas a field-deployable sampler is necessary. The focus of this work has been to develop an inexpensive, reusable, sensitive fielddeployable passive sampler for monitoring VOCs in indoor air. We have devised a sampler that uses polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which is a common inexpensive, nonpolar adsorbent. The sampler is comprised of an aluminum bottle coated with the PDMS. In operation, the coated portion is exposed to the air to be sampled. The …


Liquid Carbon Dioxide Extraction Of Various Food Flavors: Evaluation And Analysis, Deven Lee Shinholt Apr 2009

Liquid Carbon Dioxide Extraction Of Various Food Flavors: Evaluation And Analysis, Deven Lee Shinholt

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Sub- and supercritical carbon dioxide has been utilized as an extraction solvent for a variety of natural compounds. This requires the use of specialized high-pressure vessels. It was reported recently that common laboratory apparatus (centrifuge tubes) could be utilized in liquid carbon dioxide extractions obviating the need for specialized equipment. Various herbs and spices (including orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit zest, oregano, rosemary, sage, spearmint, nutmeg, black peppercorns, cloves, caraway seeds, and vanilla beans) were used as substrates for liquid carbon dioxide extractions by this straightforward technique. The extracted oils, containing terpenes and terpenoids, were then analyzed through GC/MS. Liquid …