Chemistry Commons^™

New Ventures In Amidine-Based Catalyst Design, Nicholas Alan Ahlemeyer

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Two new cascade transformations of α,β-unsaturated thioesters catalyzed by amidine-based catalysts have been developed. First, a reagent-free transformation of o-formylaryl cinnamoyl thioesters catalyzed by HBTM-2 to produce 2-substituted thiochromenes achieved high enantioselectivities and yields while forming carbon dioxide as the only byproduct. Second, a highly diastereo- and enantioselective tandem rearrangement of less reactive enone thioesters into tricyclic thiochromanes in the presence of electron-rich amidine-based catalysts was developed. These catalysts were designed with the help of DFT calculations. H-PIP, the first chiral amidine-based catalyst synthesized in our group, performed the best overall in the thiochromane synthesis.The second chapter of this thesis …

Effect Of Counter Ions On The Self-Assembly Of Polystyrene-Polyphosphonium Block Copolymers, Benjamin Hisey, Jasmine V. Buddingh, Elizabeth R. Gillies, Paul J. Ragogna

Chemistry Publications

The ability to manipulate block copolymers on the nanoscale has led to many scientific and technological advances. These include nano-scale ordered bulk and thin films and also solution phase components, these are promising materials for making smaller ordered electronics, selective membranes, and also biomedical applications. The ability to manipulate block copolymer material architectures on such small scales has risen from thorough investigations into the properties that affect the architectures. Polyelectrolytes are an important class of polymers that are used to make amphiphilic block copolymers. In this context the authors synthesized polystyrene-b-polyphosphonium block copolymers with different anions coordinated to …

Layer-By-Layer Assembled Membranes With Immobilized Porins, Sebastián Hernández, Cassandra Porter, Xinyi Zhang, Yinan Wei, Dibakar Bhattacharyya

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

New and advanced opportunities are arising for the synthesis and functionalization of membranes with selective separation, reactivity, and stimuli-responsive behavior. One such advancement is the integration of bio-based channels in membrane technologies. By a layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of polyelectrolytes, outer membrane protein F trimers (OmpF) or “porins” from Escherichia coli with central pores ∼2 nm in diameter at their opening and ∼0.7 × 1.1 nm at their constricted region are immobilized within the pores of poly(vinylidene fluoride) microfiltration membranes, in contrast to traditional ruptured lipid bilayer or vesicle processes. These OmpF-membranes demonstrate selective rejection of non-charged organics over ionic solutes, …

Mechanistic Insights Into The Reaction Of Chlorination Of Tryptophan Catalyzed By Tryptophan 7-Halogenase., Tatyana Karabencheva-Christova, Juan Torras, Adrian J Mulholland, Alessio Lodola, Christo Christov

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Tryptophan 7-halogenase catalyzes chlorination of free tryptophan to 7-chlorotryptophan, which is the first step in the antibiotic pyrrolnitrin biosynthesis. Many biologically and pharmaceutically active natural products contain chlorine and thus, an understanding of the mechanism of its introduction into organic molecules is important. Whilst enzyme-catalyzed chlorination is accomplished with ease, it remains a difficult task for the chemists. Therefore, utilizing enzymes in the synthesis of chlorinated organic compounds is important, and providing atomistic mechanistic insights about the reaction mechanism of tryptophan 7-halogenase is vital and timely. In this work, we examined a mechanism for the reaction of tryptophan chlorination, performed …

Unravelling The Correlation Of Electronic Structure And Carrier Dynamics In Cuins2 Nanoparticles, Wenhui Hu, John Ludwig, Brian Pattengale, Sizhuo Yang, Cunming Liu, Xiaobing Zuo, Xiaoyi Zhang, Jier Huang

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

In this work, we report the direct correlation of photoinduced carrier dynamics and electronic structure of CuInS₂ (CIS) nanoparticles (NPs) using the combination of multiple spectroscopic techniques including steady-state X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), optical transient absorption (OTA), and X-ray transient (XTA) absorption spectroscopy. XAS results show that CIS NPs contain a large amount of surface Cu atoms with ≪four-coordination, which is more severe in CIS NPs with shorter nucleation times, indicating the presence of more Cu defect states in CIS NPs with smaller size particles. Using the combination of OTA and XTA spectroscopy, we show that electrons are trapped …

Photorelaxation And Photorepair Processes In Nucleic And Amino Acid Derivatives, Carlos E. Crespo-Hernández

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Unravelling The Correlation Of Electronic Structure And Carrier Dynamics In Cuins2 Nanoparticles, Wenhui Hu, John Ludwig, Brian Pattengale, Sizhuo Yang, Cunming Liu, Xiaobing Zuo, Xiaoyi Zhang, Jier Huang

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

In this work, we report the direct correlation of photoinduced carrier dynamics and electronic structure of CuInS₂ (CIS) nanoparticles (NPs) using the combination of multiple spectroscopic techniques including steady-state X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), optical transient absorption (OTA), and X-ray transient (XTA) absorption spectroscopy. XAS results show that CIS NPs contain a large amount of surface Cu atoms with ≪four-coordination, which is more severe in CIS NPs with shorter nucleation times, indicating the presence of more Cu defect states in CIS NPs with smaller size particles. Using the combination of OTA and XTA spectroscopy, we show that electrons are trapped …

Multivariate Statistical Analyses Of Air Pollutants And Meteorology In Chicago During Summers 2010–2012, Katrina Binaku, Martina Schmeling

Chemistry: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Aerosol, trace gas, and meteorological data were collected in Chicago, Illinois during 2010–2012 summer air studies. Ozone, nitrogen oxides, acetate, formate, chloride, nitrate, sulfate, and oxalate concentrations as well as temperature, wind speed, wind direction, and humidity data were explored by both principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical correlation analysis (CCA). Multivariate statistical techniques were applied to uncover existing relationships between meteorology and air pollutant concentrations and also reduce data dimensions.

In PCA, principal components (PC) revealed a relationship of ozone and nitrate concentrations with respect to temperature and humidity, coupled with transport of species from the south in relation …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Thermoresponsive Hydrogels Based On N-Isopropylacrylamide Crosslinked With 4,4′-Dihydroxybiphenyl Diacrylate, Shuo Tang, Martha Floy, Rohit Bhandari, Manjula Sunkara, Andrew J. Morris, Thomas D. Dziubla, J. Zach Hilt

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

A novel crosslinker [4,4′-dihydroxybiphenyl diacrylate (44BDA)] was developed, and a series of temperature-responsive hydrogels were synthesized through free radical polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) with 44BDA. The temperature-responsive behavior of the resulting gels was characterized by swelling studies, and the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the hydrogels was characterized through differential scanning calorimetry. Increased content of 44BDA led to a decreased swelling ratio and shifted the LCST to lower temperatures. These novel hydrogels also displayed resiliency through multiple swelling–deswelling cycles, and their temperature responsiveness was reversible. The successful synthesis of NIPAAm-based hydrogels crosslinked with 44BDA has led to a …

Prep-Hplc Method Development To Isolate Potentially-Carcinogenic, Arginine-Based Heterocyclic Amines, Victoria S. Kim

Honors Theses

Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are carcinogenic molecules generated from the reaction of creatin(in)e and amino acids at high cooking temperatures in meat. Previous research has shown that replacing creatine with arginine leads to new, uncharacterized HCA molecules. This research entails implementing and optimizing the preparative HPLC analysis of extracts from multiple burnings of arginine with phenylalanine. Isolated fractions from the prep-HPLC analysis were further analyzed using the Ames test to identify mutagenic compounds. Prep-HPLC provides quality control to the burning process along with isolation of larger quantities of materials for further characterization and molecular structure identification.

Synthesis Of A Model Of The Bc Ring System Of Oxygenated Angucyclines, Xiaolan Wu, Abdullah Allaoa, Tony E. Nicolas

Publications and Research

Angucycline is a subclass of natural antibiotics, containing a characteristic tetracyclic ring structure, and featuring a wide range of biological functions, including antitumor, antiviral and antifungal properties. This extraordinarily therapeutic character has interested many chemists to develop efficient methodologies for synthesizing the tetracyclic ring system of angucycline. Construction of the BC ring configuration appears as a synthetic challenge. Successful installation of hydroxyl groups at the AB junction would pave the way for efficient syntheses. As a continuation of the previous work done on this system, our synthetic methodology focuses on the coupling of a suitably substituted Phthalide and an activated …

1,6-Diphenyl-1,3,5-Hexatriene (Dph) As A Novel Matrix For Maldi Ms Imaging Of Fatty Acids, Phospholipids, And Sulfatides In Brain Tissues., Hanadi Ibrahim, Kristina Jurcic, Jasmine S-H Wang, Shawn N Whitehead, Ken K-C Yeung

Chemistry Publications

1,6-Diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) is a commonly used fluorescence probe for studying cell membrane-lipids due to its affinity toward the acyl chains in the phospholipid bilayers. In this work, we investigated its use in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) as a new matrix for mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) of mouse and rat brain tissue. DPH exhibits very minimal matrix-induced background signals for the analysis of small molecules (below m/z of 1000). In the negative ion mode, DPH permits the highly sensitive detection of small fatty acids (m/z 200-350) as well as a variety of large lipids up to m/z of 1000, including lyso-phospholipid, …

Process For Detection Of Alzheimer's Disease From A Serum Sample, Mark A. Lovell, Bert C. Lynn

Chemistry Faculty Patents

Disclosed is a method of detecting a concentration of a biomarker in a human subject having or being at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Also disclosed is a process for detecting a concentration of a biomarker in a human subject having or being at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) comprising (a) detecting a first concentration of lipocalin-PDS/TTR complex in a blood sample or urine sample from the subject, (b) determining a second concentration of PDS/TTR complex in a blood sample or urine sample from an unaffected individual, and ( c) …

Copper Nanowires Synthesis And Self-Assembly For Interconnect Applications, Srikar Rao Darmakkolla

Dissertations and Theses

One-dimensional (1D) nanomaterial self-assembly offers an excellent approach to the fabrication of highly complex nanodevices. Despite considerable effort and research, precisely controlling the orientation and positioning of nanowires (NWs) on a large-scale area and assembling into a functional device is still a state of the art problem. This thesis focuses on the dimensionally controlled copper nanowires (Cu NWs) synthesis, and magnetic field assisted self-assembly of cupronickel nanowires (Cu/Ni NWs) into interconnect structures on a carbon doped silicon dioxide (CDO) wafer.

CDO is a low dielectric constant (k) material used for copper interconnects in multilayered complex integrated circuits (ICs). …

Investigation Of Aerosol Optical And Chemical Properties Using Humidity Controlled Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy, Xijing Zhu

Dissertations and Theses

Scientists have been observing a change in the climate since the beginning of the 20^th century that cannot be attributed to any of the natural influences of the past. Natural and anthropogenic substances and processes perturb the Earth's energy budget, contributing to climate change. In particular, aerosols (particles suspended in air) have long been recognized to be important in processes throughout the atmosphere that affect climate. They directly influence the radiative balance of the Earth's atmosphere, affect cloud formation and properties, and are also key air pollutants that contribute to a variety of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Despite their …

Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Oxygenase On Lipid Nanodiscs: A Nano-Assembly Reflecting Native-Like Function Of Enos, Ghaith Altawallbeh, Mohammad M. Haque, Kiril A. Streletzky, Dennis J. Stuehr, Mekki Bayachou

Physics Faculty Publications

© 2017 Elsevier Inc. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is a membrane-anchored enzyme. To highlight the potential role and effect of membrane phospholipids on the structure and activity of eNOS, we have incorporated the recombinant oxygenase subunit of eNOS into lipid nanodiscs. Two different size distribution modes were detected by multi-angle dynamic light scattering both for empty nanodiscs, and nanodiscs-bound eNOSoxy. The calculated hydrodynamic diameter for mode 1 species was 9.0 nm for empty nanodiscs and 9.8 nm for nanodisc bound eNOSoxy. Spectroscopic Griess assay was used to measure the enzymatic activity. Remarkably, the specific activity of nanodisc-bound eNOSoxy is …

Pretargeting Of Internalizing Trastuzumab And Cetuximab With A 18f-Tetrazine Tracer In Xenograft Models, Outi Keinänen, Kimberly Fung, Jacob Pourat, Vilma Jallinoja, Delphine Vivier, Nagavara Kishore Pillarsetty, Anu J. Airaksinen, Jason S. Lewis, Brian M. Zeglis, Mirkka Sarparanta

Publications and Research

Background: Pretargeting-based approaches are being investigated for radioimmunoimaging and therapy applications to reduce the effective radiation burden to the patient. To date, only a few studies have used short-lived radioisotopes for pretargeting of antibodies, and such examples with internalizing antibodies are even rarer. Herein, we have investigated pretargeting methodology using inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) for tracing two clinically relevant, internalizing monoclonal antibodies, cetuximab and trastuzumab.

Results: Bioorthogonal reaction between tetrazine and trans-cyclooctene (TCO) was used for tracing cetuximab and trastuzumab in vivo with a fluorine-18 (t½ = 109.8 min) labelled tracer. TCO-cetuximab or TCO-trastuzumab was administered 24, 48, or 72 …

Faculty Spotlight: Gordon Gribble, Samuel R. Reed

Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science

Professor Gordon Gribble received his B.S. from U.C. Berkeley and his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon. He has been at Dartmouth for the past 49 years, and in that time he has taught chemistry to a great number of students. His research in the field of organic chemistry features indole and triterpenoid synthesis, and has yielded a wide range of medications.

Studies In Liquid And Ion Chromatography, Akinde Florence Kadjo

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

Height- and area-based quantitation approaches reduce two-dimensional data to a single value. For a calibration set, there is a single height- or area-based quantitation equation. We introduce a new quantitation method; a Width based method that consists of using the width of a peak (Wh), at any height h, (a fixed height, not a fixed fraction of the peak maximum), leading to any number of calibration curves. This particularity of width-based quantitation (WBQ) allows the quantitation of peaks over very large scales, making the quantitation of truncated peaks possible. We showed that WBQ can offer superior overall performance (lower root …

Structure And Property Calculations Of Amorphous Ceramics And Glasses Using Density Functional Theory Calculations And Empirical Potential Molecular Dynamic Simulations, Atreyi Dasmahapatra

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

The work in this thesis involves modeling amorphous ceramics and glasses using the tools of DFT and classical MD. Systems investigated include: metal-silicate glasses (in particular HfO2- SiO2), composite coatings (comprising of Zr-Si-B-C-N), and the refractory materials amorphous silicon nitride (a-Si3N4) and amorphous silicon boron nitride (a-SiBN). Modeling techniques include traditional “melt-and-quench” simulations combined with simulated annealing. Structures are further investigated for their physical and chemical properties. A brief overview of each chapter is given below: Hafnia-silica glasses (HfO2-SiO2) find applications in microelectronics and optical waveguides. I did a computational study of the thermochemistry of these compounds exploring enthalpy of …

Enantioselective Synthesis Of An Anticancer Ruthenium Polypyridyl Complex (Rpc) And Influence Of Chiral Selectivity On Dna Photocleavage, Shomita Ferdous

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses - Archive

Ruthenium polypyridyl complexes (RPCs) represent a promising therapeiutic class of drugs for transition-metal based anticancer drug development. The complex [(phen)2Ru(tatpp)Ru(phen)2] (44+) is a RPC which has shown success in both cell free and cellular assay. Unlike many other RPCs, 44+ can selectively kill malignant cells without light irradiation from external sources. This binuclear complex 44+ is a DNA intercalator containing redox-active ligand tatpp (9,11,20,22-Tetraaza tetrapyrido[3,2-a:2'3'-c:3'',2''- 1:2''',3''']-pentacene) which cleaves DNA in presence of a mild reducing agent, i.e. glutathione (GSH).1,2,3 The cellular assay (MTT assay) with different types of malignant cells has also established this as an equally potent cytotoxic agent …

Synthetic And Mechanistic Investigations Of Ruthenium Alkylidene-Catalyzed Alkene-Silane Cross-Coupling Reactions, Apparao Bokka

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

Grubbs-type ruthenium alkylidene-catalyzed intramolecular alkene hydrosilylation and intermolecular dehydrogenative silylation and hydrosilylation of vinylarenes have been achieved with high regio- and stereoselectivity. Mechanistic details to support the initial activation of ruthenium complex have been revealed. Chapter 1 describes the uses of organosilanes in various fields. Development of transition metal-catalyzed hydrosilylations, alkene/alkyne metathesis activities of Grubbs-type ruthenium alkylidenes and non-metathetical activities including hydrosilylation of alkynes are discussed. The development of intramolecular hydrosilylation of alkenylsilyl ethers through reaction discovery and optimization is discussed. The strategy developed has been tested successfully on a variety of substrates with varying steric and electronic properties. A …

Development Of Qualitative And Quantitative Applications In Energy Industry Using Gas Chromatography- Vacuum Ultraviolet Spectroscopy, Ling Bai

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

Characterization and evaluation of hydrocarbon assets, including content of linear and branched alkanes, cycloalkanes, aromatics, olefins, and naphthenes, among others, during production and distribution are very crucial in oil and gas industries. Quantification and qualification of bulk composition of hydrocarbon groups in complex samples like gasoline, diesel, and other high value refinery products is very challenging. Gas chromatography (GC) is the most popular technique among the petrochemical industry and many of the EPA and ASTM methods have been established based on GC for analyzing hydrocarbons in complex mixtures. Though there are many methods available, there are still limitations on the …

Vibronically Coherent Ultrafast Triplet-Pair Formation And Subsequent Thermally Activated Dissociation Control Efficient Endothermic Singlet Fission, Hannah L. Stern, Alexandre Cheminal, Shane R. Yost, Katharina Broch, Sam L. Bayliss, Kai Chen, Maxim Tabachnyk, Karl J. Thorley, Neil Greenham, Justin Hodgkiss, John E. Anthony, Martin Head-Gordon, Andrew J. Musser, Akshay Rao, Richard H. Friend

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Singlet exciton fission (SF), the conversion of one spin-singlet exciton (S₁) into two spin-triplet excitons (T₁), could provide a means to overcome the Shockley–Queisser limit in photovoltaics. SF as measured by the decay of S₁ has been shown to occur efficiently and independently of temperature, even when the energy of S₁ is as much as 200 meV less than that of 2T₁. Here we study films of triisopropylsilyltetracene using transient optical spectroscopy and show that the triplet pair state (TT), which has been proposed to mediate singlet fission, forms on ultrafast timescales …

Ab Initio Structural Studies Of Cyclobutylmethyl Cations: Effect Of Fluoroalkyl Groups On The Relative Stability Of The Carbocations, Prakash Reddy, Golam Rasul, G. K. Surya Prakash

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ab initio calculations at MP2/cc-pVTZ level show that the trifluoromethyl group has a strong destabilizing effect on the nonclassical, σ-bridged cyclobutylmethyl cations. The GIAO-MP2 derived ¹³C NMR chemical shifts indicate substantial charge delocalization from the neighboring cyclobutyl ring for carbocations with an α-fluorolkyl group as compared to the 1-cyclobutylethyl cation, and this enhanced charge delocalization in case of the α-(trifluoromethyl)cyclobutylmethyl cation would lead to the ring-opening rearrangement to form the relatively more stable nonclassical primary cyclobutylmethyl cation, in which the carbocation center is farthest from the strongly electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl group.

Apan Production Through Photooxidation Of Isoprene In The Presence Of NoX, Timothy Glidewell

Masters Theses

Peroxyacyl nitrates (PANs, RC(O)OONO₂) are of great importance in atmospheric chemistry. They act as transporters of reactive nitrogen, and radical delivery agents. There are no known natural emission sources of PANs; they are produced through reaction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x) in the atmosphere.

VOCs can enter the atmosphere through biogenic and anthropogenic pathways. It has been estimated that isoprene makes up 70% of the biogenic VOCs (BVOCs) emitted annually. Isoprene has been shown to impact ozone levels in both rural and urban areas by sequestering and transporting NO_x in the form …

Identification Of Proteolytic Cleavage And Arginine Modifications By Chemical Labeling And Mass Spectrometry, Maheshika S.K. Wanigasekara

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

Post-translational modification of proteins plays a significant role in the regulation of cellular processes. During the translation, process proteins undergo different modifications, which are known as post-translational modifications (PTMs). Due to their low abundances, PTM analysis presents several challenges; therefore, efficient and sensitive PTM detection methods are required. Arginine is an essential amino acid in a cell, which undergoes several kinds of PTMs. Finding these functional arginine residues in a protein is a challenging task. The task was successfully addressed, and the findings are not only reported herein, but an assessment was recently reported covering the new chemical labeling methods …

Identification Of Aspergillus Fumigatus Udp-Galactopyranose Mutase Inhibitors, Julia S.Martin Del Campo, Meital Eckshtain-Levi, Nancy J. Vogelaar, Pablo Sobrado

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic human pathogen responsible for deadly, invasive infections in immunocompromised patients. The A. fumigatus cell wall is a complex network of polysaccharides among them galactofuran, which is absent in humans. UDP-galactopyranose mutase (UGM) catalyzes the conversion of UDP-galactofuranose (UDP-Galf) to UDP-galactopyranose (UDP-Galp) and is an important virulence factor. UGM is a flavin-dependent enzyme that requires the reduced flavin for activity; flavin reduction is achieved by reaction with NADPH. The aim of this work was to discover inhibitors of UGM by targeting the NADPH binding site using an ADP-TAMRA probe in a high-throughput screening assay. The flavonoids …

Eigenstate–Specific Temperatures In Two–Level Paramagnetic Spin Lattices, Mark Masthay, Calley N. Eads, Amber N. Johnson, R. Gerald Keil, Phillip Miller, Ross E. Jones, Joe D. Mashburn, Harry B. Fannin

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Increasing interest in the thermodynamics of small and/or isolated systems, in combination with recent observations of negative temperatures of atoms in ultracold optical lattices, has stimulated the need for estimating the conventional, canonical temperature Tconvc of systems in equilibrium with heat baths using eigenstate-specific temperatures (ESTs). Four distinct ESTs—continuous canonical, discrete canonical, continuous microcanonical, and discrete microcanonical—are accordingly derived for two-level paramagnetic spin lattices (PSLs) in external magnetic fields. At large N, the four ESTs are intensive, equal to Tconvc, and obey all four laws of thermodynamics. In contrast, for N < 1000, the ESTs of most PSL eigenstates are non-intensive, differ from Tconvc, and violate each of the thermodynamic laws. Hence, in spite of their similarities to Tconvc at large N, the ESTs …

Nucleobase Sublimation On Mammut Americanum Tusk Fragments, Joshua Prybil

Mastodon Tusk Project Posters

Many preservation attempts have been made on the tusk that the University of Northern Iowa acquired. Due to the poor preservation attempts a lot of damage has happened and has caused the tusk to be in a way of disrepair. The Carver grant is very keen on the future preservation of the tusk. The sublimation of nucleobases will be able to help guide the type of preservation methods used in order to preserve the nucleobases and possible DNA still in the tusk. The extraction of nucleobases will not only help with the future preservation of tusk but it will also …