Chemistry Commons^™

Influence Of The Sea Surface Microlayer On Ozone Deposition Velocity, Kathryn Moore

Honors Theses

The biogeochemical cycles of both iodine and ozone are strongly linked to human health and global climate and are tightly coupled through chemical processes occurring in the surface ocean and troposphere. The concentration and distribution of these compounds have the potential to drive the oxidizing capacity and suite of chemical reactions occurring in the marine boundary layer. However, modeling coupled ocean-atmosphere systems involving them is challenging because of a limited understanding of the magnitude and dominant mechanisms controlling the fluxes of both species, in addition to temporally and spatially heterogeneous distributions of ozone and iodine in the sea surface and …

An Investigation Into Polyiodination Of Activated Benzene Derivatives With Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution Reactions, Dakota Gilbert

Honors Theses

The aim of this research is to investigate the periodination of benzene derivatives that are activated towards electrophilic aromatic substitution. In this research, a successful electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction was completed with procedures that used iodine with silver sulfate as an activating agent in the reaction mixture. The ball-milling technique with N-iodosuccinnimide as the iodinating reagent was also explored. Only one iodine was added onto 4-iodoanisole as the activated benzene derivative. When 2,4-dichloroanisole was the substrate, a small amount of diiodo product accompanied the monoiodo product, but no triiodo (periodinated) product was observed. Nonetheless, the trials of this research give …

Mercury In Fish In North Mississippi Reservoirs: Statistical Analysis And Risk Assessment, Stacy Wolff

Honors Theses

Mercury (Hg) is a pollutant of particular concern because it is wide-spread, persistent, and poses a serious risk to human health. Once released into the atmosphere, it cycles through the environment by a series of complex biogeochemical processes. Upon deposition to aquatic ecosystems, inorganic mercury can be transformed to methylmercury by microorganisms. Methylmercury is a known human neurotoxin that can bioacculmulate in fish tissue and biomagnify up aquatic food chains. Consumption of contaminated fish is the primary route of human exposure to methylmercury. The Mississippi Department of Health has issued fish consumption advisories for Grenada and Enid Lakes in the …

Investigation Into The Synthesis Of Dodecahydro-3a,9a-Diazaperylene, Andrew Palmer

Honors Theses

Dodecahydro-3a,9a-diazaperylene (DHDAP) may serve as a potential donor for use in a donor-sigma-acceptor complex for unimolecular rectification. In order to use DHDAP as a donor, its synthesis must first be studied and altered in such manners as to add a synthetic handle. Other things of important include increasing the yield and better understanding the mechanism by which DHDAP forms. Numerous experiments were conducted in various manners such as testing various solvents among various temperatures to even adding in extra reagents to push the reaction one way or another. In the end the yield of the synthesis was found to improve …

When All Seems Lost: A Discussion On The Implications Of Using Medicine For Scientific Advances, Rebecca Monterusso

Honors Theses

When All is Lost is a creative non-fiction piece following the lives of two fictional characters living during World War" and the Holocaust. It is meant to discuss the moral quandary when human experimentation is used for the purpose of scientific advancement. The two main characters lives' are depicted in a series of modified scenes that describe what happens to them throughout the war. Leo Weinstock is a Jewish man who is chosen for the high-altitude experiments at Dachau after he is imprisoned during Kristallnacht. Erich, on the other hand, is a young, successful Luftwaffe pilot defending his country. Both …

Interactions Of Zn2+ On Insulin Oligomer Formation, Stability, And Fragmentation: Analysis Using Esi-Im-Ms, Tiffany Culver

Honors Theses

Insulin is a hormone protein essential to the regulation of blood sugar levels. Although it is active as a hormone in the monomer (single insulin unit) form, it is stored in the pancreas as a hexamer – a coordination of six insulin units and zinc ions. This research analyzes the effects of zinc ions on the formation, stability, and fragmentation of the hexamer and other oligomer species in varying solution and instrument conditions, including the ability of the higher oligomers to transfer from crystallization to solution to a gas phase for analysis using electrospray ionization ion mobility mass spectrometry (ESI-IM-MS). …

Abuse Of Spice, Bath Salts, And Steroids, Rebecca Coburn

Honors Theses

The abuse of three different drugs and whether or not they should continue to be banned in the United States is looked at. These three drugs are spice, bath salts, and steroids. In conclusion, spice and bath salts should continue to be banned in the United States due to the little knowledge known on the drugs and how they affect the body. Steroids on the other hand should only be banned in the use of sports, due to the unfair advantage that it gives users. For individuals not in sports, steroids should be legal since it is their choice to …

One-Pot Reactions Of Ethyl Propiolate, Ana Maria Neferu

Honors Theses

Through an efficient one-pot reaction sequence, ethyl propiolate can be transformed into a complex, usefully functionalized bicyclic product. Thioconjugate addition yielding Z-selective enoates has been developed for both aromatic thiols (trialkylamine-catalyzed) and aliphatic thiols (KOt-Bu-catalyzed). The oxidation of the thioenoates thus generated is followed by Li-catalyzed oxidation to sulfones using mCPBA, and Li-catalyzed Diels–Alder addition of cyclopentadiene. These subsequent steps are performed in situ, without any purification of intermediates. The yields obtained using the described synthesis are acceptable for a one-pot three-step sequence. Preliminary conjugate addition results with alcohols and amines as nucleophiles are also presented.

Investigating The Interaction Of Zinc-Finger Peptides And Nicked Dna Using Phage Display, Rachel Maria Guerra

Honors Theses

Recognition of structural features of DNA such as gaps, nicks and abasic sites is critical for many DNA-binding proteins, such as those involved in DNA damage repair. This study explores a novel strategy to model these protein-DNA interactions using phage display. Phage display has been commonly used to identity zinc fingers that bind to DNA sequences, but selection of peptides that binding to specific DNA structures has not been reported in the literature. A phage library of 109 variants was created based on one of three zinc finger domains of the DNA repair protein poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase I. The library, …

A Raman Spectroscopic Study Of The Effects Of Hydrogen Bonding On 1,2,3-Triazole, Anna Craig

Honors Theses

The goal of this thesis is to analyze the effects of hydrogen bonding on liquid 1H- 1,2,3-triazole. Spectra of neat 1H-1,2,3-triazole are compared to simulated spectra and are found to differ greatly. The experimental spectrum, however, matches the simulated spectra of 1H-1,2,3-triazole dimers very well. This suggests that dimers play a large role in the liquid structure of 1H-1,2,3-triazole. Though tautomerism is thought to play a large role in the vibrational behavior of 1,2,3- triazole, the Raman spectra obtained here suggest that molecular dimers dominate the liquid state much more so than tautomerism. Even in aqueous solution, the simulated spectra …

Spectroscopic Study Of Charge Transfer Induced Blue Shifting Of Pyrimidine/Water Mixtures On Silver Substrate, Annie Katherine Mcclellan

Honors Theses

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a chemical method gaining much popularity in recent years. With the use of a roughened metal surface or metal nanoparticles, surface plasmon resonances enhance the electromagnetic field allowing for increased Raman signal. Pyrimidine, having two lone pairs of electrons, is capable of charge transfer interactions contributing to a SERS chemical enhancement factor as well. It has recently been reported that hydrogen bonding with water results in the blue-shifting of certain normal modes of pyrimidine. By comparing experimental polarized Raman spectra with the results of electronic structure calculations, the origin of this blue-shifting was found …

Ph Dependent Proteolysis Of Neural Cadherin, Candice Ashton Walters

Honors Theses

Cadherins are the primary calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion molecule and are essential to vertebrates. They ensure the integrity of epithelial barriers that allow for maintenance of homeostasis in humans and protection against invading microorganisms. A common invader capable of forging past this line of defense is the fungus Candida albicans. The main virulence mechanism of C. alibans in acidic environments is its secreted aspartyl proteinases (SAPs), which are hydrolytic enzymes that degrade cadherin-mediated cell adhesion leading to infection of the underlying tissues. Cadherin is normally resistant to cleavage by proteases due to stabilization of the protein structure by bound calcium and …

Effects Of Micro-Solvation On Room Temperature Ionic Liquids, Joseph Wellington Golden

Honors Theses

Room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) have received much attention lately. These compounds are made completely of ions and are liquid at or near room temperature. These liquid salts have a number of unique properties that make them an interesting system to study. These properties include almost zero vapor pressure, thermal stability, large liquidus range, etc. Due to these properties and others, ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted much attention in the emerging field of green chemistry as potentially new solvents for many of the hazardous and volatile solvents currently in use. Moreover, the complex interactions of the anion and cation systems …

Investigation Of Saccharide Release Through Acidification, Sonication, Thermal, And Microwave Treatments, William K. Storck

Honors Theses

With diminishing fossil fuels, renewable sources are becoming much higher in demand. Algae are becoming an increasingly important source of biofuels. Production of biofuels from algae exceeds yields from every other source, most notably corn, per acre. It also provides a highly viable method of reusing carbon dioxide and does not compete with other crops for growth. The production of ethanol through fermentation requires the release of saccharides produced by the algae. The more saccharides extracted, the more ethanol can be produced. This project investigates for a more effective method of maximum saccharide release.

The purpose of this project is …

Interaction Of Pharmaceutical Compounds With Dissolved Organic Matter, Carlen Nigl Smith

Honors Theses

Highly prescribed pharmaceutical compounds and their metabolites used to treat conditions ranging from infections to depression are of environmental concern as these excreted compounds are increasingly appearing in wastewater influent. As pharmaceuticals enter treatment plants they also can interact with dissolved organic matter (DOM) present. This potential interaction between pharmaceutical compounds and DOM may inhibit the advanced oxidation process (AOP) based removal of drugs during water treatment. The focus of this research was to utilize multinuclear magnetic resonance and hydroxyl radical kinetics to assess whether an interaction between influent pharmaceuticals and DOM does occur, the extent of the interaction, and …

Elucidation Of B-N And B-P Stretching Vibrations Using Raman Spectroscopy And Electronic Structure Calculations, Dana Nicole Reinemann

Honors Theses

Boron-nitrogen (B-N) and boron-phosphorus (B-P) dative bond stretching vibrational frequencies were studied using vibrational spectroscopic methods and electronic structure calculations. There has been a great controversy over the assignment of B-N dative bond vibrational frequencies for many years with a range of inconsistent assignments in the literature. The B-N dative bond stretching frequency in N-methyliminodiacetic acid (MIDA) esters was analyzed here using infrared, Raman, and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic methods and compared to the results of electronic structure calculations employing the MP2 and M06-2X methods with a triple zeta basis set. The mode including the B-N stretching motion proved to …

Your Body Is A Temple: Type-2 Diabetes In Mississippi And The Potential Role Of The Black Church In Diabetes Education And Intervention, Jonathon Troy Jackson

Honors Theses

Type-2 diabetes and obesity are two major health complications that are affecting many Mississippians, namely the African American population. A substantial amount of research has been conducted that explains the high prevalence rate of type-2 diabetes and obesity in the African American community as partially due to many secondary factors, including the Southern cuisine, food scarcity, physical inactivity, and poverty. Recently, efforts to reach the African American population about diabetes education and prevention in other Southern states have been directed to faith-based organizations. Researchers have hoped that faith-based intervention might be better suited at helping a wider audience in a …

Studies On Vinamidinium Salt Amine Exchange Reactions, Borohydride Reductions, And Subsequent Transformations, Xian Jia

Honors Theses

This research would not have been possible without the extraordinary guidance of Dr. John Gupton who I like to think of as the brains behind the operation. In addition, Dr. Nakul Telang, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Gupton’s research lab, has provided great support, assistance and humor throughout my undergraduate research career. The other student members of the lab that I would like to recognize for their support and contribution to this project are Ben Giglio, James Eaton, Peter Barelli, Mona Hovaizi, Kayleigh Hall, Scott Welden, Kara Finzel. We also thank the National Institutes of Health (grant no. R15‐CA67236) for …

Synthesis Of Indole Containing Pyrimidines, Kara Finzel

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Design And Construction Of A Reflectron Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometer For Multiphoton Ionization And Vibrational Spectroscopic Studies Of Mass-Selected Clusters, Matthew Dodd Mcdowell

Honors Theses

Mass spectrometry is typically employed for the elucidation and identification of elements and compounds. Its ability to select and isolate specific molecular clusters makes it an ideal tool for the fundamental spectroscopic study of the photophysical and geometric properties of molecules and molecular clusters. The design and construction of a reflectron time of flight mass spectrometer (reflectron TOF-MS) as well as its implementation for electronic and vibrational spectroscopic studies of various molecules and molecular clusters is discussed. The first chapter introduces basic theory related to electronic spectroscopy, multiphoton ionization, and vibrational spectroscopy. The second chapter entails the theoretical aspects of …

Catalytic Decomposition Of Peroxynitrite And Superoxide By Nafion Films Modified With Iron And Manganese Porphyrin, Amanda Stull, Victor Sarpong

Honors Theses

Nafion films alone and modified with inert electrolytes and metalloporphyrins were tested in their effectiveness of decomposition of aqueous peroxynitrite (PN) and superoxide. Films that were modified with a cationic manganese porphyrin, which has been shown to be responsible for catalytic decomposition of superoxide ion, were found to be most effective. Peroxynitrite was generated in solution by the decomposition of 3-morpholinosydnonimime (SIN-1) that generates nitric oxide and superoxide ion, which rapidly combine to form peroxynitrite. The tyrosine analogue 4-hydroxyphenylacetic (4-HPA) was used to trap the PN in pH 7.00 PBS buffer and was its nitrated product was detected by observing …

Uv Irradiation On Bacteriophage Survival, Sherri Tomlinson

Honors Theses

Bacteriophage is of great interest because of its potential role in controlling bacterial populations in our environment. UV exposure has a damaging effect on the virus decreasing lytic ability. This study set out to test the effects of UV radiation, in amounts comparable to local environmental conditions, on bacteriophage T2. The virus was placed in a Petri dish in a PBS medium and exposed to UV radiation at 365nm. The irradiated virus was allowed to infect E. coli and plated. The plaques formed were counted to determine lytic activity of the virus with respect to UV irradiation. The results showed …

Synthesis And Reactivity Of Alpha-Azido Acylals, Gretchen Bell

Honors Theses

alpha-Azido -Azido acylals are a novel combination of azide (N3) and acylal [R-C(OOCR)2] functional groups. Since these compounds are new chemical entities, little is known in the chemical literature about their physical, chemical, and biological properties. This synthetic methodology investigation sought to (1) develop a one-pot, two reaction method for preparing alpha-azido acylals and (2) investigate the chemical reactivity of alpha-azido acylals with phosphine reagents. Progress has been made and will be discussed regarding both the synthesis and reactivity of alpha-azido acylals. This work developed methods and processes that will have significant impact in our broader objective of exploring the …

Analysis Of The Electron Withdrawing Capability Of Acetylene Groups For Promoting Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution, Eric D. Braunstein

Honors Theses

It is well known that electron withdrawing groups, such as nitro or carbonyl groups, activate benzene rings for nucleophilic aromatic substitution. However, little research has been done to investigate the electron withdrawing capability of acetylene groups for substitution of aromatic halides. Experimental and computational investigations on the reactivity of halogenated phenylacetylenes with oxygen and other nucleophiles will be described.

Development Of A Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrometer For Lead-Free Gunshot Residue Analysis, Ryan Alexander Gregg

Honors Theses

Research has demonstrated that Laser‐Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) can be used as an effective method of screening for the common elemental components in gunshot residue. Barium (Ba), lead (Pb), and antimony (Sb) make up the primer cap of most ammunition involved in forensic gunshot residue analysis. Recently, ammunition manufacturers have started producing and popularizing ammunition with zinc (Zn), titanium (Ti), and gadolinium (Gd) primer components that are non‐toxic to the environment. This paper discusses the development of the Ole Miss Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry's first LIBS instrument for forensic analysis of lead‐free using Gd as a tracer element for …

Developing The Techniques For Raman, Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (Sers), And Fluorescence Spectroscopies Of Organic Molecules In Isolation, Jonathan Wolfe

Honors Theses

The nature of matter and light has been a subject of philosophical debate since antiquity. However, by the end of the nineteenth century, much of the scientific community believed that most of the significant principles that govern the natural world had been discovered. Classical physics was able to explain complex phenomena such as planetary motions, elasticity, and hydrodynamics. The field of thermodynamics had been developed nearly to completion by James Joule, Sadi Carnot, Josiah Gibbs, et al. The magnetic and electronic nature of light had been demonstrated by James Clerk Maxwell's famous equations. In the neighboring field of chemistry, a …

Optical Properties Of Multilayer-Polyelectrolyte Films With Incorporated Gold Nanomaterials (Solid Nanoparticles And Hollow Nanoshells), Robert Watson Day

Honors Theses

The growth of various multilayer‐polymer multilayer‐nanoparticle films was successfully achieved. Multilayer‐polymer multilayer‐nanoparticle films with 1, 3, and 5 polymer layers between nanoparticle layers exhibit significantly different optical properties due to the differences in magnitude of particle plasmon coupling. These film systems were also successfully extended to hollow gold nanoshells, which have significantly enhanced optical properties in comparison to solid gold nanoparticles of similar sizes. A proposal for utilizing this increased sensitivity of the gold nanoshells to explore the ‘microenvironments’ for optimizing potential sensing applications is also presented.

Polyelectrolyte-Linked, Multi-Layer Film Assemblies Of Aqueous Nanoparticles And Nanoshells, Anne Galyean

Honors Theses

Multi-layer films of nanoparticles and nanoshells featuring various polymeric linkage molecules have been assembled and their optical properties characterized. The growth dynamics, including molecular weight effects, and stability of the various nanoparticle film constructions, using both single polymer as well as combinations of alternating charge polyelectrolytes as linking mechanisms, are presented. The polymeric linkers studied include poly-L-lysine, poly-L-arginine, poly(allylamine hydrochloride), and polyamidoamine dendrimers. Significantly air stable films were achieved with the use of multi-layered polymeric bridges between the nanoparticles and nanoshells. Optical sensitivity normally observed with these nanomaterials in solution was observed for their corresponding film geometries, with the nanoshell …

The Effects Of Exogenous Insulin And Exercise On Glucose And Lactate Metabolism In The Brown Anole, Anolis Sagrei, Kristen Marie Hitchcox

Honors Theses

Blood glucose homeostasis is tightly regulated in mammals. Insulin and exercise both stimulate glucose uptake into muscle cells via the GLUT4 transporter protein by independent pathways. Insulin triggers a tyrosine kinase pathway, but the mechanism stimulated by exercise is unknown. Discovering the mechanism may provide new therapeutic techniques for people with diabetes mellitus. While mammals have been studied extensively, research on a different model may elucidate aspects of this lesser known pathway. Reptiles rapidly deplete glycogen stores during bursts of activity and produce lactate as a byproduct of anaerobic metabolism. Lactate undergoes gluconeogenesis within muscle tissue, rather than liver tissue, …

Mechanisms Of Cytotoxicity Of Diepoxybutane, Epichlorohydrin And 1-(Chloroethenyl)Oxirane, Rebecca D. Kamins

Honors Theses

Diepoxybutane (DEB), epichlorohydrin (ECH), and 1-(chloroethenyl)oxirane (COX) are small molecules that can form DNA interstrand cross-links. All three of these compounds are, or are metabolites of, industrial chemicals linked to cancer. Additionally, DEB is a metabolite of treosulfan, an anti-cancer drug. We are trying to determine why some of these compounds cause cancer and some can also cure cancer. To do so, we are attempting to link cytotoxicity, cross-linking efficiency, and apoptotic potential of the three compounds to see if any correlations exist. The purpose of this project was to quantify apoptotic potential of DEB, ECH and COX. This was …