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Articles 91 - 120 of 325

Full-Text Articles in Chemistry

Polyelectrolyte Complexes Based On Poly(Acrylic Acid): Mechanics And Applications, Xiaoyan Lu Jan 2018

Polyelectrolyte Complexes Based On Poly(Acrylic Acid): Mechanics And Applications, Xiaoyan Lu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) is a weak polyelectrolyte presenting negative charge at basic condition when the carboxylic group loses a proton. These carboxylate group can interact with polycations and metal ions to form stable polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs), leading to tunable properties and multifunctional nanoscale structures through chemical reactions. This research focuses on nanofiber and nanoparticle fabricated by PAA-based PECs. We demonstrated the effect of ferric ion concentration on the mechanical properties of PAA-based single naonofiber by using dark field microscopy imaging and persistence length analysis. The application of PAA-based nanofiber mats loaded with MnO2 for supercapacitors was also explored. As a …


In Situ Treatment Systems For Remediation Of Polychlorinated Biphenyl-Contaminated Building Materials, Adibah Almutairi Jan 2018

In Situ Treatment Systems For Remediation Of Polychlorinated Biphenyl-Contaminated Building Materials, Adibah Almutairi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of synthetic organohalides comprising 209 congeners which were used historically as additives in paint and caulking materials over a span of many years. Even though the production of PCBs in the USA has been banned since the late 1970s, their former prevalence and widespread use means many structures are still coated with PCB-laden paints. In addition, the presence of PCBs in elastic sealants has resulted in transport of PCBs into concrete structures and has caused soil contamination around buildings. PCB-contaminated building materials have become a significant concern for the environment and building occupants due …


Light Scattering Property Of Gold Nanoparticles With Applications To Biomolecule Detection And Analysis, Tianyu Zheng Jan 2018

Light Scattering Property Of Gold Nanoparticles With Applications To Biomolecule Detection And Analysis, Tianyu Zheng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have unique optical and chemical properties. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) is an analytical tool used routinely for nanoparticle size measurement. The combined use of AuNPs and DLS has led to a novel analytical assay technology called D2Dx (from diameter to diagnostics). Herein, my dissertation highlights the extended use of D2Dx for biomolecule detection and analysis. Under this general theme, Chapter 1 provides some background information of AuNPs, DLS, the principle of D2Dx technique and its potential applications. Chapter 2 summarizes a study on the effect of AuNP concentrations and laser power on the hydrodynamic size measurement of …


Optical Properties Of Single Nanoparticles And Two-Dimensional Arrays Of Plasmonic Nanostructures, Yadong Zhou Jan 2018

Optical Properties Of Single Nanoparticles And Two-Dimensional Arrays Of Plasmonic Nanostructures, Yadong Zhou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The tunability of plasmonic properties of nanomaterials makes them promising in many applications such as molecular detection, spectroscopy techniques, solar energy materials, etc. In the thesis, we mainly focus on the interaction between light with single nanoparticles and two-dimensional plasmonic nanostructures using electrodynamic methods. The fundamental equations of electromagnetic theory: Maxwell's equations are revisited to solve the problems of light-matter interaction, particularly the interaction of light and noble nanomaterials, such as gold and silver. In Chapter 1, Stokes parameters that describe the polarization states of electromagnetic wave are presented. The scattering and absorption of a particle with an arbitrary shape …


Development And Characterization Of Solid-Contact Paper-Based And Micro Ion-Selective Electrodes For Environmental Analysis, Stephanie Armas Jan 2018

Development And Characterization Of Solid-Contact Paper-Based And Micro Ion-Selective Electrodes For Environmental Analysis, Stephanie Armas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) have extensively been used for food analysis, as medical diagnostic tools, and for some environmental applications. However, ISEs are hindered by the need of a bulky reference electrode and the pre-conditioning step of the sensor, which can often be lengthy. This work will discuss how the direct addition of target analyte into the cocktail sensing membrane can circumvent the pre-conditioning step. Furthermore, the work is presented in an optimized ready-to-use single strip design, where the bulky glass reference electrode (RE) is no longer needed. The bulky RE was replaced by drop casting a simple two-component mixture consisting …


Advancements In Liquid Chromatography For The Determination Of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds In Environmental Samples, Hugh Hayes Jan 2018

Advancements In Liquid Chromatography For The Determination Of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds In Environmental Samples, Hugh Hayes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a new and improved analytical methodology for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles (PASHs) in environmental samples. Hundreds of PAHs and PASHs are present in the environment and have great toxicological importance and the chemical determination of these components is a priority. The complete normal-phase liquid chromatography (NPLC) retention behavior has been explored for these compounds. Retention indices were determined for 124 PAHs, 62 methyl-PAHs (MePAHs), 67 PASHs, and 80 alkyl-PASHs on an aminopropyl (NH2) stationary phase which represents the most comprehensive study of polycyclic aromatic …


Design, Synthesis, Stability, And Photocatalytic Studies Of Sustainable Metal-Organic Frameworks, Matthew Logan Jan 2018

Design, Synthesis, Stability, And Photocatalytic Studies Of Sustainable Metal-Organic Frameworks, Matthew Logan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The presented dissertation focuses on the design, synthesis, and characterization of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) composed of earth-abundant elements the exhibit photoredox activity and studied their application as heterogeneous photocatalysts in organic synthesis and in solar-to-chemical energy conversion. In particular, the structure-property relationships of titanium-based MOFs relating the structure of the organic building unit and the photophysical and photochemical activity of the solid material is studied. The first novel family of seven MOFs isoreticular to MIL-125-NH2, includes functionalized with N-alkyl groups with increasing chain length (methyl to heptyl) and with varying connectivity (primary or secondary). The functionalized materials displayed reduced optical …


Qualitative And Quantitative Elemental Composition Analysis Of The Surrounding Pollen Coating Via Icp-Ms, Brandy Voyer Jan 2018

Qualitative And Quantitative Elemental Composition Analysis Of The Surrounding Pollen Coating Via Icp-Ms, Brandy Voyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pollen evidence has proven to be a powerful forensic tool to trace a suspect or item to a victim or a crime scene. This is possible because it is microscopic, abundant in nature, resistant to degradation and decay; it presents dispersal patterns that can be used to generate a 'fingerprint' within specific areas, and has illustrated a unique morphology that can be used to classify species. While the pollen grain morphology has been extensively used to characterize the specific species, not much has been investigated as pertains to the coating that surrounds the pollen grain aside from it being categorized …


Integration Of Fundamental Research And Cer: The Role Of Authenticity In Developing Views On The Nature Of Teaching, Learning, And Doing Science, Julie Donnelly Jan 2018

Integration Of Fundamental Research And Cer: The Role Of Authenticity In Developing Views On The Nature Of Teaching, Learning, And Doing Science, Julie Donnelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an integration of fundamental research and chemical education. It begins with two nonlinear spectroscopic studies of compounds important to the study of brain chemistry. In Chapter 2, we present a novel method using quantum mechanics for modelling ligand docking and the potential of nonlinear circular dichroism for elucidating the mechanism of cannabinoids docking to their receptor, a contribution to studies of varying psychological effects of cannabinoids. Considering existent challenges with measuring this phenomenon, in Chapter 3, we evaluate two-photon absorption properties of Thioflavin T (ThT) in varying glycerol/water content solutions and discuss the enhancement of nonlinear absorption …


Nanoscale Characterization And Mechanism Of Electroless Deposition Of Silver Metal, Christopher Grabill Jan 2018

Nanoscale Characterization And Mechanism Of Electroless Deposition Of Silver Metal, Christopher Grabill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an investigation of the nanoscale characteristics and mechanism of electrolessly deposited silver metal seeded by gold nanoparticles. The process of growing seed-nanoparticles on a polymer surface was studied. Several bifunctional amines and organic reducing agents were used to explore how these chemical factors affect the size and distribution of gold nanoparticles formed at the interface. The nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). An electroless deposition (ED) bath developed by Danscher was selected to study electroless deposition of silver in detail. The chemical species in the bath …


Split Aptameric Turn-On Fluorescence Sensor For Detection Of Sequence Specific Nucleic Acid At Ambient Temperature, Nanami Kikuchi Jan 2018

Split Aptameric Turn-On Fluorescence Sensor For Detection Of Sequence Specific Nucleic Acid At Ambient Temperature, Nanami Kikuchi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) enable sensitive detection of low density infections that microscopy and rapid diagnostic test are not capable of detecting. They enable quantitative and qualitative nucleic acid detection, genotype analysis, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection. Current state of the art molecular probes used with NAATs includes molecular beacon (MB), Taqman and its variations. This work presents novel molecular probe designed from Spinach and Dapoxyl aptamers. The aptamers are split into two parts (split aptamer), allowing greater sensitivity and selectivity towards fully complementary nucleic acid analyte. The major advantage of split aptamer probe over state-of-the-art fluorescent probes …


The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Chemistry, Spring 2017, Sandy Avila Jan 2017

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Chemistry, Spring 2017, Sandy Avila

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.


Mechanochemical Synthesis Of Fuels From Sustainable Sources Utilizing Solid Catalysts, Jacob Todd Jan 2017

Mechanochemical Synthesis Of Fuels From Sustainable Sources Utilizing Solid Catalysts, Jacob Todd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mechanochemistry requires less solvents which results in less waste generation. The question becomes can we apply mechanochemistry to current chemical reactions and reduce the generation of waste. This process can be simple or can be very extensive resulting in the generation of large amounts of waste and very little product. A significant advantage of mechanochemistry is the reduced need for solvents that would be common place for reactions. Mechanochemistry transfers energy to reagents via impacts from milling media. Energy can be transferred to the reagents no matter their state-of-matter. Much of the current studies in mechanochemistry today are done using …


Using Low-Coherence Interferometry To Monitor Cell Invasion In An In-Vitro Model System, Behnaz Davoudi Nasab Jan 2017

Using Low-Coherence Interferometry To Monitor Cell Invasion In An In-Vitro Model System, Behnaz Davoudi Nasab

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In an optically random system, such as naturally occurring and man-made media, light undergoes pronounced multiple scattering. This phenomenon has shown a remarkable potential in characterizing complex materials. In this regime, scattering occurs from each individual center of the scattering and independent scattering events lead to multiple light scattering. This phenomenon is often described as a random walk of photons and can be modeled in terms of a diffusion equation based on the radiative transfer theory. In this thesis, we used optical path-length spectroscopy (OPS), which is an experimental method to obtain the path-length probability density of the propagating light …


Literature Review On The Use Of Nucleic Acid-Based Logic Gates For The Detection Of Human Diseases, Enrique J. Blanco Martinez Jan 2017

Literature Review On The Use Of Nucleic Acid-Based Logic Gates For The Detection Of Human Diseases, Enrique J. Blanco Martinez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Conventional methods for diagnosis of human disease are, at times, limited in different regards including time requirement, either experimental or data processing, sensitivity, and selectivity. It is then that a Point of Care Criteria, which considers the true utility and usefulness of the device, is employed to propose new diagnostic devices capable of overcoming the aforementioned shortcomings of conventional tools. Nucleic acid, characterized for its predictable base-pairing nature, is considered to be a highly-selective, yet greatly modifiable device. Its behavior is then described through Boolean Logic, where “true” or “false” outputs are mathematically described as “1” and “0”, respectively. This …


Micro-Spectroscopy Of Bio-Assemblies At The Single Cell Level, Jeslin Kera Jan 2017

Micro-Spectroscopy Of Bio-Assemblies At The Single Cell Level, Jeslin Kera

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In this thesis, we investigate biological molecules on a micron scale in the ultraviolet spectral region through the non-destructive confocal absorption microscopy. The setup involves a combination of confocal microscope with a UV light excitation beam to measure the optical absorption spectra with spatial resolution of 1.4 μm in the lateral and 3.6 μm in the axial direction. Confocal absorption microscopy has the benefits of requiring no labels and only low light intensity for excitation while providing a strong signal from the contrast generated by the attenuation of propagating light due to absorption. This enables spatially resolved measurements of single …


Two-Component Covalent Inhibitors (Tcci) Of The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Reverse Transcriptase (Hiv-Rt), Carlos Ledezma Jan 2017

Two-Component Covalent Inhibitors (Tcci) Of The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Reverse Transcriptase (Hiv-Rt), Carlos Ledezma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The traditional design of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI's) involves the synthesis of chain-terminated nucleoside analogs. HIV-RT has relatively low fidelity which facilitates mutations that confer resistance towards NRTI's, also, drug promiscuity from NRTI's result in various side-effects that lead to poor patient adherence to treatment. We designed and tested two-component covalent inhibitors against HIV-RT. Our inhibitor design results in higher specificity due to its binary approach, which has previously been used in biosensing applications, where both components are necessary for therapeutic effect, and lower chances for mutagenesis because of its inhibitory action. The TCCI approach results in up to …


Nitrogen-Containing Materials For Mechanochemical Synthesis, Luminescence Analysis, And Heterogeneous Catalysis, David Nash Jan 2017

Nitrogen-Containing Materials For Mechanochemical Synthesis, Luminescence Analysis, And Heterogeneous Catalysis, David Nash

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Various inorganic nitrogen-containing materials have been exploited for their different properties. Several nitride materials are commercially attractive due to their mechanical properties making them suitable for ceramic industries and wide bandgaps fitting for use as semiconductor and insulator materials, as well as optoelectronics. Nitride materials can exhibit versatility in applications such as the use of gallium nitride to make blue LEDs, nitrides of titanium and silicon being utilized as medical implants for their chemical inertness and hardness, and the heavy use of boron nitride as a solid lubricant in the cosmetic industry. Amines have been used as nitrogen-containing organic ligands …


A Deoxyribozyme Sensor And Isothermal Amplification For Human Sex Determination, Alexandra Smith Jan 2017

A Deoxyribozyme Sensor And Isothermal Amplification For Human Sex Determination, Alexandra Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ribozymes are known to catalyze biochemical reactions and behave like enzymes. They are naturally occurring and have very diverse functions within a cell. After investigating ribozymes that next step was to find if DNA can exhibit the same characteristics since RNA and DNA only differ by a ribose 2'-hydroxyl group. This evolution in curiosity gave rise to artificial DNA enzymes that can catalyze certain reactions and have been created by in vitro selection methods. Due to the ability to manipulate and control DNA hybridization, the deoxyribozyme is advantageous to the field of molecular diagnostics. Other hybridization probes like Taqman for …


A Universal Electrochemical Biosensor For The Detection Of Nucleic Acids Based On A Four-Way Junction Structure, Dawn Mills Jan 2017

A Universal Electrochemical Biosensor For The Detection Of Nucleic Acids Based On A Four-Way Junction Structure, Dawn Mills

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electrochemical hybridization sensors have been explored extensively for analysis of specific nucleic acids. However, commercialization of the platform is hindered by the need for attachment of separate oligonucleotide probes complementary to a RNA or DNA target to an electrode's surface. This dissertation demonstrates that a single probe can be used to analyze several nucleic acid targets of different lengths with high selectivity, low cost and can be regenerated in 30 seconds by a simple water rinse. The universal electrochemical four-way junction (4J)-forming (UE4J) sensor consists of a universal DNA stem-loop (USL) probe attached to the electrode's surface and two adaptor …


Measuring And Modeling Nmr And Emission Spectra To Gain New Insight Into Challenging Organic Compounds, Jacob Powell Jan 2017

Measuring And Modeling Nmr And Emission Spectra To Gain New Insight Into Challenging Organic Compounds, Jacob Powell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The advancement of theoretical methods in recent years has allowed the calculation of highly accurate spectroscopic parameters. Comparing these values to the corresponding experimental data can allow molecular structures to be elucidated. This dissertation details the use of experimental and theoretical data from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and fluorescence spectroscopy to determine structure. Herein the NMR focus is on measuring & modeling chemical shift anisotropy and one-bond carbon-carbon J-coupling constants (1JCC). The fluorescence analysis models vibrationally resolved fluorescence spectra. Chemical shift anisotropy techniques were used to study two conflicting crystal structures of the n-alkyl fatty acid, lauric acid. These two …


Detection Of Inorganic Phosphate In Environmental Water Samples Using A Terbium And Gold Nanoparticle-Based Fret Chemosensor, Madeleine Johnson Jan 2017

Detection Of Inorganic Phosphate In Environmental Water Samples Using A Terbium And Gold Nanoparticle-Based Fret Chemosensor, Madeleine Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A novel chemosensor for the detection of inorganic phosphate (Pi) in environmental water samples is outlined. The sensing solution is comprised of a luminescent lanthanide, terbium (Tb3+), chelated to ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) acid in solution with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)- capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The Tb-EDTA and AuNPs undergo a Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) mechanism in which the Tb3+ luminescence is quenched. Upon the addition of inorganic phosphate (Pi), the AuNPs begin to aggregate and precipitate out of solution. The aggregation of AuNPs results in the restoration of the Tb-EDTA signal which can then be correlated to Pi concentration in …


Time-Resolved Phosphorescence Spectroscopy At Cryogenic Temperatures For The Environmental Analysis Of Polycyclic Aromatic Sulfur Heterocycles In Oil Contaminated Sites., Maha Al-Tameemi Jan 2017

Time-Resolved Phosphorescence Spectroscopy At Cryogenic Temperatures For The Environmental Analysis Of Polycyclic Aromatic Sulfur Heterocycles In Oil Contaminated Sites., Maha Al-Tameemi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The large volume of crude oil released into the Gulf of Mexico by the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) accident has raised considerable concerns over potential ecosystem impacts. The dispersion of harmful oil components into the ocean waters could pose long term risks to flora and fauna. Due to the complexity of oil contaminated sites, the unambiguous identification and quantitation of environmental pollutants often requires the sequence of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A classic example is the analysis of the sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons included in the priority pollutants list of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA-PAHs). …


Monitoring Crystal Structure Refinements Using Solid-State Nmr Chemical Shift Tensors, Keyton Kalakewich Jan 2017

Monitoring Crystal Structure Refinements Using Solid-State Nmr Chemical Shift Tensors, Keyton Kalakewich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Inclusion of lattice-fields in density functional theory (DFT) methods has enabled the accurate calculation of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) chemical shift tensors. Calculated 13C and 15N tensors (i.e. 3 principle values per nucleus) can be used to monitor crystal structure refinements and to select the correct structure from a large population of computationally generated candidates. In this dissertation, chapter 2 describes a methodology to improve established crystal structures from three different diffraction techniques involving geometric refinement monitored using SSNMR tensor values. The calculated 13C tensors for three relatively simple organic compounds (i.e. acetaminophen, naphthalene, and adenosine) are shown to …


The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Chemistry, Fall 2016, Sandy Avila Dec 2016

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Chemistry, Fall 2016, Sandy Avila

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.


The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Chemistry, Fall 2016, Patti Mccall Sep 2016

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Chemistry, Fall 2016, Patti Mccall

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.


The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Chemistry, Spring 2016, Patti Mccall Mar 2016

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Chemistry, Spring 2016, Patti Mccall

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.


Novel Photodynamic Cancer Therapy Agent And Biochemical Phosphate Sensor Based On Nanomaterials, Alaa Fadhel Jan 2016

Novel Photodynamic Cancer Therapy Agent And Biochemical Phosphate Sensor Based On Nanomaterials, Alaa Fadhel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biochemical research and clinical studies have revolutionized the field of medicine in both diagnosis and therapy. Researchers in the field of biochemistry and biotechnology are using nanomaterials in different applications to develop devices and materials that offer benefits to both patients and the health care industry. These include biochemical sensors, enzyme encapsulation, biomarkers, and drug delivery improvements for the treatment of cancer. This dissertation focuses on investigating two biochemical aspects using nanomaterials; namely therapy and clinical diagnosis. For therapy purposes, Silica nanoparticles were used as drug delivery system to develop a new photodynamic cancer therapy agent photo-acid generator (PAG) that …


Plasma Temperature Measurements In The Context Of Spectral Interference, Brandon Seesahai Jan 2016

Plasma Temperature Measurements In The Context Of Spectral Interference, Brandon Seesahai

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The path explored in this thesis is testing a plasma temperature measurement approach that accounts for interference in a spectrum. The Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (AES) technique used is called Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and involves focusing a laser pulse to a high irradiance onto a sample to induced a plasma. Spectrally analyzing the plasma light provides a "finger print" or spectrum of the sample. Unfortunately, spectral line broadening is a type of interference encountered in a LIBS spectrum because it blends possible ionic or atomic transitions that occur in plasma. To make use of the information or transitions not …


Degradation Of Hexachlorobenzene, Pentachlorophenol And Pentachloroanisole Using Activated Magnesium In An Acidified Ethanol/Ethyl Lactate Cosolvent System, Amel Garbou Jan 2016

Degradation Of Hexachlorobenzene, Pentachlorophenol And Pentachloroanisole Using Activated Magnesium In An Acidified Ethanol/Ethyl Lactate Cosolvent System, Amel Garbou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For many centuries, chemists have dedicated many labor-intensive hours to improving the quality of life for mankind by developing synthetic methods for the production of compounds which fulfill the needs and meet the demands of society. However, the innovation of such compounds has frequently come at the cost of detrimental side-effects that do not always present themselves until many years, or even decades, following their initial application. Many compounds in this category come in the form of globally-distributed halogenated molecules which are toxic to many living organisms, susceptible to bioaccumulation and resistant to biodegradation processes. Such compounds are classified as …