Chemistry Commons^™

Novel Bodipy Dyes For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Hafsah Klfout

Masters Theses

Dyes-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) are of importance to efficient conversion of solar energy to electricity. The modern version of a DSC is a titanium dioxide nanoparticles-based electrochemical device, in which solar energy is absorbed by dye molecules and electrons from excited dye molecules are injected into the conduction band of titanium dioxide nanoparticle. The electrons are then transported through a network of interconnected TiO₂ particles to the fluorine- tin -oxide layer to the external circuit. In this process dye molecules are crucial to the device's energy conversion efficiency.

Boron-dipyrromethenes, known as BODIPY dyes, show strong absorption in the visible …

Synthesis Of Different Sizes & Functions Nanoparticles, Jiaming Geng

Masters Theses

"Nanogels, whose size range from 1 to 100nm, have been interested in many research areas: cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, catalysts, photochemistry, and in optical switches or sensors. In Petroleum Engineering area, nanogels can be used as conformance control agent and emulsion stabilizer. And after grafting functional groups or hybrid, nanogels can be used as tracer for the visual modeling.

Though nanoparticles have been studied for more than 20 years, few of them are about nanogels. In the thesis, stirring rate, surfactant type and concentration were found have a large impact on the synthesis of nanogels. And cationic nanogels have salt and acid …

In Vitro Study Of Wound-Healing Capabilities Of Bioactive Glass Fibers Under Various Culture Conditions, Sisi Chen

Masters Theses

"Bioactive borate glass has been recognized to have both hard and soft tissue repair and regeneration capabilities through stimulating both osteogenesis and angiogenesis. However, the underlying physiological and cellular mechanism behind this function remains unclear. In this study, in vitro dynamic flow modules were designed to mimic the micro-environment near the vascular depletion and hyperplasia area in wound-healing regions, and were used to investigate the biocompatibility and functionality of borate glass nano-/micro-fibers. Glass-cell interactions were investigated either by dosing fibers to the upstream of or co-cultured with cells, and two types of borate glasses (with or without CuO/ZnO doped were …

Morphological And Surface Chemistry Characteristics Of Silica Nanoparticle Based Cryogels From Specific Processing Parameters, Ben Walusiak

Masters Theses

The goal of this research was to determine the effects of processing conditions on the morphology and surface chemistry of silica nanoparticle based cryogels. All processing conditions resulted in a change in morphology or surface chemistry compared to the starting material, CAB-O-SIL HS5 fumed silica. N₂ adsorption isotherms were used to characterize surface area and pore size distributions of fumed silica and silica cryogels. TGA (thermogravimetric analysis) was performed on all samples in order to characterize the adsorbed water and hydroxyl group content of the silica surface. Solid state ²⁹Si NMR was also used to evaluate surface chemistry …

Physicochemical Characterization Of Novel 1,1 0-Phenanthrolines, Dominic Millheim

Masters Theses

1,10-Phenanthroline is a well-known and often-used ligand with a variety of interesting properties and applications to both organic and inorganic chemistry. Interest in novel 1,10-phenanthrolines substituted at the 5- and 6- position has grown recently due to their interesting fluorometric and spectroscopic properties. They have been evaluated recently for applications including chemical sensors, chemical indicators, pharmacological targets and bioactive reagents.

1,10-Phenanthroline, an epoxidated synthetic intermediate, and a novel 5,6- disubstituted aminoalcohol derivative were studied to determine the degree of influence that iterative physical and chemical transformations have on the donor properties of the N-C-C-N pocket. Multiple analytical techniques including potentiometry …

The Nucleic Acid Binding Properties Of The Pwi Motif, Hamideh Keshavarz-Mohammadian

Masters Theses

The PWI motif is a highly conserved domain that contains a Proline-Tryptophan-Isoleucine (PWI) tripeptide sequence, for which it is named. Proteins that contain a PWI motif are known to be involved in the constitutive and alternative splicing and the 3'-end processing of messenger RNA transcripts. The hypothesized role of the PWI motif is to nonspecifically interact with nucleic acids. The PWI motif is capable of binding both doublestranded and single stranded forms of DNA and RNA. The structure of the highly conserved core of the PWI motif reveals that it adopts a four-helix bundle fold. The structured core domain, however, …

Electron Transfer In Pnicogen Bond, Liangyu Guan

Masters Theses

Abstract is available for download as a separate file.

Chemistry Graduate Teaching Assistants: A Comparison Of The Classroom Discourse Within Expository And Problem-Based Learning Laboratories, Kelley M. Current

Masters Theses

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) commonly function as instructors within undergraduate chemistry laboratories. This study sought to explore and describe GTA classroom discourse within two distinct instructional modes, using discourse analysis as the theoretical framework. Theclassroom discourse within a series of verification style labs was comparedto the classroom discourse produced within a set of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) labs. The results suggest three primary findings: (1) the apparent relationship between the instructional mode and form of GTA classroom discourse, (2) the patterns in classroom discourse observed within a given instructional mode repeat, irrespective of content, and (3) the classroom discourse observed within …

Theoretical And Spectroscopic Analysis Of Ch...Π Interactions Of Fluorinated Aromatic Systems, Anuradha Gayathri Akmeemana

Masters Theses

CH...π interactions are non-covalent interactions which occur in organic compounds that are important in biological and chemical sciences in many ways. Microwave spectroscopy is an important technique that can be used to detect CH...π interactions in the gas phase molecules. Previously microwave spectroscopic studies of complexes containing CH...π interactions, benzene...HCCH (Ulrich, N.W.; Seifert, N.A.; Dorris, R.E.; Peebles, R.A.; Pate, B.H.; Peebles, S.A., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2014, 16, 8886-8894) and fluorobenzene...HCCH (Ulrich, N.W.; Songer, T.S.; Peebles, R.A.; Peebles, S.A.; Seifert, N.A.; Perez, C.; Pate, B.H. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2013, 15, 18148-18154) were done at Eastern Illinois University and the …

Gold-Magnetite Nanoparticle-Biomolecule Conjugates: Synthesis, Properties And Toxicity Studies, Akshay Pariti

Masters Theses

"This thesis study focuses on synthesizing and characterizing gold-magnetite optically active magnetic nanoparticle and its conjugation with biomolecules for biomedical applications, especially magnetic fluid hyperthermia treatment for cancerous tissue. Gold nanoparticles have already displayed their potential in the biomedical field. They exhibit excellent optical properties and possess strong surface chemistry which renders them suitable for various biomolecule attachments. Studies have showed gold nanoparticles to be a perfect biocompatible vector. However, clinical trials for gold mediated drug delivery and treatment studied in rat models identified some problems. Of these problems, the low retention time in bloodstream and inability to maneuver externally …

Computational And Experimental Studies Of Non-Covalent Interactions: Characterization Of Ch...Π Interactions And Structure Of 1,1-Difluoroethylene...Carbon Dioxide, Ashley M. Anderton

Masters Theses

Weakly bound CH/π interactions, due to the abundance of C-H bonds and π systems that exist in larger organic molecules, are an important driving force in the construction of biomacromolecules, supramolecular assemblies and crystal packing of organic compounds. To assist in the characterization of CH/π interactions, a density functional theory (DFT) study has been conducted to determine a quick and cheap method for accurate determination of the binding energy and rotational constants for CH/π interactions. Seven complexes were used in this study: five benzene-HY complexes (where Y= C≡CH, Cl, F, Br and C≡N) and two fluorobenzene-HY complexes (where Y= C≡CH …

Investigations Towards Synthesis Of Cinnamaldehyde Semicarbazone Derivatives And Their Photochromicity By Modifying The Ring, The Linker, And The Semicarbazone, Xiao Xiao

Masters Theses

Cinnamaldehyde semicarbazone was varied in three ways, by altering the ring, the conjugated linker, and the semicarbazone, to investigate how changing the structure affects the photochomicity. The synthesis of 7 hetero- and 2 polycyclic- aromatic semicarbazone variants involved three steps, (a Wittig reaction, hydrolysis, and condensation to the semicarbazone) with cumulative yields of 15% to 52%. Generally, the pyridine series gave lower yields than other synthesized semicarbazones. The Wittig reaction gave cis/trans mixtures in ratios of 2 : 1 to 1 : 7 for the 6 acetals, except for the 3 that went directly to the aldehyde, due to the …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Molecular Components For The Preparation Of Poly-Rotaxanes, Austin P. Welti

Masters Theses

The self-sorting ability of certain crown ethers make them important players in the field of supramolecular chemistry, especially those studying mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs). Of these MIMs, rotaxanes and catenanes are the most common. Our approach in the synthesis of poly-rotaxane systems involves the preparation of axles containing multiple recognition motifs to determine the self-sorting principles that each motif shows. These principles include narcissistic self-sorting, and also type I and type II social self-sorting principles. Using these techniques, poly-rotaxane formation can be made readily available.

A hetero-poly-rotaxane equipped with a naphthalene diimide (NDI) site and two ammonium salt sites has …

Using Soil Organic Matter As An Iron Chelate To Enhance The Efficiency Of Modified Fenton Oxidition Of Diesel Fuel In Arctic Soils, Mary K. Sherwood

Masters Theses

Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the use of modified fenton chemistry on the treatment of three soils from the Canadian arctic, all with abundant soil organic matter, iron and manganese oxides, and diesel fuel contamination. The purpose of these studies was to (I) to assess modified fenton chemistry as a treatment option for petroleum-contaminated arctic soils, and (2) to evaluate the impact of soil organic matter on the modified fenton treatment of soils. Modified fenton treatment was compared for reactions in which ethylenediaminetetraacetate was added as a chelate vs. reactions in which the native soil organic matter was the …

Study Of The Insulin Mimetic Sodium Orthovanadate In Glucosamine Induced Insulin Resistnace In Primary Rat Hepatocytes, Kalan Mcpherson

Masters Theses

Insulin resistance and type II diabetes is a disease state characterized by a lack of sensitivity of insulin to provoke a proper response in insulin sensitive tissues. Currently, we utilize glucosamine to increase flux through the Hexosamine Biosynthetic Pathway (HBP) to induce an insulin resistance like state in primary rat hepatocytes. We tested the effectiveness of the insulin mimetic sodium orthovanadate to determine if it could elicit an insulin-like response under these conditions. Mixed results were obtained on the effectiveness of vanadate as an insulin mimetic in this insulin resistant model.

Studies Of The Structural Boundaries Of Solid-State Photodimerization Reactions Via Isocoumarins And Heteromeric Assemblies, Mihiri S. Weerasinghe

Masters Theses

The study of molecules in crystals has gained considerable attention in the field of structural chemistry. Much interest has focused on the use of molecular crystals for the construction of materials with specific functional properties. Because the design of such materials requires a critical understanding of intermolecular interactions, use of the building-block approach continues to offer an important strategy to multimolecular frameworks. Though the use of template and metal-ligand interactions has provided successful opportunities to organize chemical reactions in solids, these methods require secondary molecules and are limited to achiral starting materials. As such, exploring chiral synthesis with simplified precursors …

From Half-Rotaxanes To Poly-Rotaxane Architectures, Heather Renee Schoonover

Masters Theses

The host-guest abilities of macrocyclic compounds made them important players in the field of supramolecular chemistry, especially those studying mechanical bonds. Rotaxanes and catenanes are among the most well-known examples of mechanically interlocked molecules. Our approach in the synthesis of poly-rotaxane systems involves the preparation of pseudorotaxanes with donor capabilities and then use metallic centers to assemble the poly-rotaxane architectures.

A pyridine-based half-rotaxane has been synthesized and the subsequent solution studies revealed a large association constant. ¹H-NMR studies show that these interlocked species exhibit a slow exchange on the NMR timescale. Using the single point method and VT-NMR several …

The Effects Of Chemical Treatment And Light Exposure On Pah Concentrations In Biochar, Fathima Nadheesha Muhammed Khalid

Masters Theses

A series of experiments quantifying extractable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in biochar before and after various treatments were conducted. The analytical approach included solvent extraction of PAHs with toluene, further isolation and column cleanup before gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis. The treatment methods include exposing biochar samples to sunlight and UV radiation with and without additives and reacting with hydrogen peroxide.

Two biochar samples from the Eastern Illinois University bench-type gasifier and commercial biochar were analyzed. Analyzing of three biochar types revealed that plant biochar has lower total PAH concentration than wood (W) biochar or wood and plant (giant …

The Effect Of Electrochemical Modification On The Surface Topography And Chemical Make-Up Of Strontium Titanate, Kelly J. Harmon

Masters Theses

Previous research into the oxidation and reduction of strontium titanate and the changes that result from this has been carried out. The oxidation and reduction of strontium titanate at high temperatures and high pressures has been investigated for the effect that it has upon the surface topography of strontium titanate and the chemical makeup of the strontium titanate. Research into the electrochemical oxidation of perovskites, similar in structure to that of strontium titanate, have even provided evidence pointing to the identity of the oxygen species being incorporated into the strontium titanate.

This research seeks to investigate what changes occur to …

Part I: Increased Leaching Of Arsenic, Selenium, Molybdenum, And Vanadium From High Calcium Coal Ash Containing Trona Reaction Products. Part Ii: Using Agricultural Byproduct Rice Hull As Biosorbent To Remove And Recover Metal Ions In Water, Yongbo Dan

Masters Theses

"Part I. The trona is being injected to control SO_x emission from coal-fired power plants. The results showed that trona ash leached significantly more As, Se, Mo, and V than the control fly ash did, especially under the natural pH condition. In addition, trona ash had a significantly greater soluble fraction than the control ash. Further investigation indicated that greater amounts of the studied anionic elements in the trona ash were associated with the soluble, trona reaction products. Moreover, the insoluble fraction of the trona ash lost its capability to adsorb these elements under the natural pH condition. The …

Comparative Evaluation Of N-Acetylcysteine And N-Acetylcysteine Amide In Acetaminophen-Induced Oxidative Stress, Ahdab Naeem Khayyat

Masters Theses

"Acetaminophen (APAP) is the most widely used pharmaceutical analgesic-antipyretic agent in the world, but its toxicity is a common cause of drug-induced hepatotoxicity. With APAP toxicity, cellular glutathione (GSH) is depleted. This results in the availability of N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), is a toxic metabolite of APAP that binds to cellular macromolecules, which leads to cell necrosis. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a GSH precursor, is the only approved antidote for an acetaminophen overdose. It is a negatively charged molecule that diminishes its penetration into the cells, thereby requiring fairly high doses that increase the severity of side effects. In addition, oral and …

Role Of Nicotine In Oxidative Stress, Rakesh Kacham

Masters Theses

"Nicotine, a major alkaloid, is present in tobacco products as well as in smaller amounts in potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants. Although it is the addictive compound in cigarettes, nicotine is believed to play a protective role in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Researchers have found that the short-term administration of nicotine may help improve the memory process by reducing oxidative stress in the brain. Our studies have shown that, by blocking Fenton's reaction, nicotine is able to inhibit free radical generation, so this research has focused on the antioxidant properties of nicotine. The cell lines of the alveoli, blood …

Chemical Transformations Of Arylsulfonamide Molecular Crystals, Rajan Giri

Masters Theses

The pursuit of chemical specificity and efficiency of chemical reaction in molecular crystals has attracted considerable attention over the last decade. The successful control of molecular alignment prior to such transformations continues to provide opportunities for near quantitative yields of new materials. This thesis reports the predictable self-assembly of aryl sulfonamide materials constructed from cinnamic acid and phenylpentadienoic acid fragments capable of forming supramolecular dimers that undergo unique photocyclization reactions. Use of racemic and enantiopure single-component building-blocks provides access to enantiocontrolled [2+2] photodimerized products.

Solid-state reaction precursors were prepared using conventional solution-based synthetic organic techniques. Component chirality (racemic or homochiral) …

Determination Of Structural Stabilities Of Metal-Free Porphyrin Cytochrome C, Zinc Cytochrome C, And Cobalt Cytochrome C, Usha K. Tottempudi

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Crystal Structures Of Metal Sulfonates, Jon Lyle Obrecht

Masters Theses

Designing new materials with predictable chemical and physical properties has long been a goal of synthetic chemists. The functional properties of molecular compounds are intimately tied to the underlying chemical framework. In addition to atom selection and chemical connectivity, the spatial organization of the molecules often contributes to the function of materials. Because crystals are constructed of periodic arrays of components (i.e. atoms or molecules) with structures easily assessed via X-ray diffraction, crystalline materials offer ideal candidates to explore the relationship of component selection and crystal packing to material property.

One such property that has been extensively examined by …

Direct Analysis Of Hops By Leaf Spray And Paper Spray Mass Spectrometry, Kari Blain

Masters Theses

The objective of this research is to develop a new and innovative method of hops analysis, which is much faster than standard testing methods, as well as reduce the amount of consumables and solvent used. A detailed discussion on the development of an ambient ionization mass spectrometry method called paper spray (PS-MS) and leaf spray (LS-MS) mass spectrometry will be presented. This research investigates the use of PS-MS and LS-MS techniques to determine the α- and β- acids present in hops. PS-MS and LS-MS provide a fast way to analyze hops samples by delivering data as rapidly as a UV-Vis …

Equipment Qualification Of Ion Mobility Spectrometry And Method Development And Validation For Pharmaceutical Equipment Cleaning Validation, Amy Lee Heiser

Masters Theses

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) instrumentation has been identified as a suitable technology for the detection and reporting of drug product and detergent residues from pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment. Ion mobility is not a new technology, but is entering the field of cleaning validation because of tightened requirements from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The purpose of this thesis is to outline a practical implementation of the analytical technique, Ion Mobility Spectrometry in a cleaning validation program. Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) is fast and specific for the analysis of small organic molecules and has been gaining popularity in the pharmaceutical …

Synthesis Of 1,1-Dialkyhydrazines And Their Hydroxyl Radical Degradation In Aqueous Environments, Benjamin F. Strong

Masters Theses

Determination of hydroxyl radical rate constants are essential to ensure adequate degradation of contaminants in wastewater. Hydrazines are an important class of organic contaminants and are the focus of this research. Ten 1,1-dialkylhydrazines are synthesized by the zinc reduction of the corresponding N-nitrosamines. Their hydroxyl radical rate constants are determined using the linear accelerator at the Notre Dame Radiation Laboratory at pH 4, 7, and 10.

Their rate constants are found to depend on the protonation state of the molecule. At pH 4 the molecules are fully protonated and hydrogen atom abstraction is favored from the alkyl chains. At …

Dibenzimidazolium Salts And Their Interactions With 1,5-Dinaphtho-38-Crown-10, David B. Bernthal

Masters Theses

The use of imidazolium salts in mechanically interlocked molecules, like pseudorotaxanes, is of interest because they can be functionalized with side arms that allow for coordination chemistry. It has been previously shown that tetraakylbenzobisimidazolium salts successfully thread through crown ethers, such as 15DN38C10 or BPP34C10, to form pseudorotaxanes. As an extension of the results that were gathered about this novel template, it was our goal to explore the degree to which larger imidazolium salts interact with such crown ethers. This research focused on the interactions between 15DN38C10 and dibenzimidazolium cations that were tetra-substituted with methyl groups, butyl groups, and benzyl …

Internal Motion In Weakly Bound Halomethane Complexes, Amelia J. Thomas

Masters Theses

A complementary blend of computational and spectroscopic methods has been used to analyze three halomethane complexes which exhibit different types of internal motion. In CH2FrCO2, the CH2F2 undergoes a "rocking" motion which inverts the dipole moment component along the c axis. For thjs complex, the spectra of six isotopologues were measured and an experimental structure was determined (see figure). The barrier to inversion was 142(3) cm·1 based on an experimental AE (AE is the energy difference between v=0+ and v=ff), which is in good agreement with the ab imtio ZPE-corrected barrier of 122 cm •1 . Upon comparison with similar …