Chemistry Commons^™

Synthesis Of Β-Methyl-L-Cysteine As A Model For A Β-Methyl-D-Cysteine Building Block For Incorporation Into Microbisporicins, Elora C. Doskey

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Thickness-Properties Synergy In Organic–Inorganic Consolidated Melting-Gel Coatings For Protection Of 304 Stainless Steel In Nacl Solutions, Mario Amapricio, Andrei Jitianu, Gabriela Rodriguez, Kutaiba Al-Marzoki, Mihaela Jitianu, Jadra Mosa, Lisa C. Klein

Publications and Research

Homogeneous and crack-free methyl-substituted organic–inorganic hybrid glass coatings (thickness up to 10 μm) were deposited on AISI 304 stainless steel. Different hybrid glasses obtained fromconsolidation of the diluted melting gels with various methyltriethoxysilane (MTES)/dimethyldiethoxysilane (DMDES) ratios were evaluated considering chemical structure, coating adhesion and corrosion protection. The 70MTES/30DMDES (molar%) melting-gel coating provided improved corrosion protection for this steel due to the synergy of different properties: a highly cross-linked inorganic structure, a coating plasticity based on the hybrid network, and a good adhesion to the substrate through hydroxyl groups. Electrochemical results showa good barrier film with a passive range of 500 …

Synthesis Of Bis(Quinoxalino) Ligand For The Removal Of Transition Metal Contamination, Alexander J. Farmer

Honors Theses

Transition metal contamination is a constant concern both in the environment and in chemical reaction mixtures. One proposed solution, is the use of peraza-crown macrocycles to selectively bind and remove transition metals. The aim of our project is to determine the novel synthesis of bis(quinoxalino) peraza-crown macrocycles for use as ligands to bind to transition metals. Our proposed molecules incorporate the rigid quinoxaline subunit into an aza-crown macrocycle which can improve binding properties. The synthesis route is novel and overcomes several limitations of the existing methods of aza-crown macrocycle preparation. We have designed the synthesis in such a way that …

The Effects Of Structural Modification Of The Wing Helix Domain Of Pria On Bacterial Dna, Erich Auer

Honors Theses

During a cell’s life it must copy itself or face death. For the cell to form a new copy it must replicate its DNA, this DNA is the blueprint for the essential components of the cell. The replication process does not always go to completion, which is necessary for the cell to survive, so there are mechanisms to keep the replication process running smoothly. In bacteria, PriA is used to restart replication after damage to the DNA. By looking at the structure of PriA we can start to determine how exactly it works with the damaged DNA and restart the …

A Program Aimed Toward Inclusive Excellence For Underrepresented Undergraduate Women In The Sciences, Laura A. Katz, Kathryn M. Aloisio, Nicholas J. Horton, Minh Ly, Sara B. Pruss, Kate Queeney, Cate Rowen, Patricia Marten Dibartolo

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Created to foster inclusive excellence, Smith College’s Achieving Excellence in Mathematics, Engineering, and Science (AEMES) Scholars program provides early faculty-mentored research opportunities and other programming as a way to foster success in academic outcomes for underrepresented women in science. Using academic record data, we compared Scholars’ outcomes over time with those of underrepresented students before program launch and to relevant peer comparison groups. Since its launch, AEMES Scholars have achieved significantly higher gateway life sciences course grade point averages (GPAs), rates of persistence in life and natural sciences, and participation in natural sciences advanced research relative to baseline. Gains for …

Emerging Antimicrobial Research Against Superbugs: Perspectives From A Polymer Laboratory, Mitra S. Ganewatta, Md Anisur Rahman, Chuanbing Tang

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Infectious diseases caused by drug-resistant microorganisms have become a major contributor for human morbidity and mortality. To overcome such threats, we have developed various antimicrobial agents using natural product derivatives and metallopolymers. Abundant biomass such as resin acids can be utilized to prepare cationic polymers for inhibiting a variety of bacteria. These polymers have been used in solution as well as surfaces as antimicrobial materials with low cytotoxicity. In addition, a class of charged metallopolymers have been developed to kill superbugs such as MRSA.

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Using Polymerization, Glass Structure, And Quasicrystalline Theory To Produce High Level Radioactive Borosilicate Glass Remotely: A 20+ Year Legacy, Carol M. Jantzen

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Vitrification is currently the most widely used technology for the treatment of high level radioactive wastes (HLW) throughout the world. Most of the nations that have generated HLW are immobilizing in borosilicate glass. One of the primary reasons that glass has become the most widely used immobilization media is the relative simplicity of the vitrification process, e.g. melt a highly variable waste with some glass forming additives such as SiO₂ and B₂O₃ in the form of a premelted frit and pour the molten mixture into a stainless steel canister. Seal the canister before moisture can enter …

Antitumor Activity Of Selected Derivatives Of Pyrazole- Benzenesulfonamides From Dilithiated C(Α), N-Phenylhydrazones And Lithiated Methyl 2-(Aminosulfonyl)Benzoate, N. Dwight Camper [Deceased], James M. Gum, Darby E. Lyles, William T. Pennington, Charles F. Beam, Clyde R. Metz

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Several pyrazole-benzenesulfonamides were subjected to biological evaluation involving tumor formation on potato discs caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. This assay led to some excellent and promising initial results with three of the pyrazole compounds showing increased tumor inhibition when compared to a recognized standard, camptothecin. The select pyrazole-benzenesulfonamides were prepared by condensation-cyclization of several dilithiated C(α),N-phenylhydrazones with lithiated methyl 2-aminosulfonyl-benzoate.

Differential Response Of Coral Symbiotic Dinoflagellates To Bacterial Toxins That Produce Bleaching In Stony Corals, Diego L. Gil-Agudelo, Yael Ban-Haim, Eugene Rosenberg, Garriet W. Smith

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Bleaching of corals and other organisms with symbiotic zooxanthellae is a worldwide phenomenon with increasing importance due to global warming scenarios. Bleaching has been historically related to changes in the environment, especially water temperature increase, that stress corals and provoke the release of zooxanthellae. The discovery of Vibrio shilonii, a bacterium causing bleaching under thermal stress in corals of the Mediterranean Sea has changed our thinking about the cause (or explanation) for bleaching of corals worldwide. During this study, we evaluated the effect of a proline rich toxin, extracted from Vibrio shilonii, on zooxanthellae obtained from: Oculina patagonica from the …

Where Do New Materials Come From? Neither The Stork Nor The Birds And The Bees! In Search Of The Next “First Material”, Gregory Morrison, Dileka Abeysinghe, Justin B. Felder, Shani Egodawatte, Timothy Ferreira, Hans Conrad Zur Loye

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Materials discovery and optimization has driven the rapid technological advancements that have been observed in our lifetimes. For this advancement to continue, solid-state chemists must continue to develop new materials. Where do these new materials come from? In this review, we discuss the approaches used by the zur Loye group to discover the next “First Material”, a new material exhibiting a desired or not previously observed property that can be optimized for use in the technologies of tomorrow. Specifically, we discuss several crystal growth techniques that we have used with great success to synthesize new materials: the flux growth method, …

Preparation, Analysis And Derivatization Of Benzotris(Thiazole) Triamine, Jonathan Patrick Peter Alessi

Honors Theses

Multiple fields are areas of active research where organic materials hold considerable promise, such as thermoelectrics or photovoltaics. In an effort to design and prepare a new system which would exhibit a set of promising features such as high thermal stability, high degree of planarity, rigid skeleton and strong electron accepting properties, we have undertaken the preparation and characterization of benzotrithiazole and its derivatives. Our work has led to a reproducible and scalable protocol for the generation of one particular structure: benzo[1,2-d:3,4-d':5,6-d"]tris(thiazole)-2,5,8-triamine. We have also conducted further attempts to functionalize this structure, leading to other derivatives of the target compound.

Combination Therapy Of Prostate Cancer Utilizing Functionalized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Carrying Tnf-A And Lactonic Sophorolipids, James Beach, Tuhina Banerjee, Jyothi Kallu, Ryan Higginbotham, Richard Gross

Paper and Posters Presentations

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer afflicting men in the United States. In recent years, advances in the field of nanotechnology have allowed for new and innovative ways to treat various types of cancer and various other diseases. Our research focuses on the treatment of the LNCaP line prostate cancer utilizing iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) loaded with soluble TNF-a and lactonic sophorolipids (LSLs). TNF-a is a cytokine responsible for apoptosis initiation, while LSLs are naturally-glycolipids shown to alleviate inflammation and improve immune response in certain diseases. We hypothesized that this combination may possess a synergistic …

High-Quality Polyurethane Foams And Sheets From Sustainable Natural Resources, Sanket Bhoyate, Chungyang Zhang, Mihail Ionescu

Paper and Posters Presentations

Bio-polymers from sustainable natural resources serve mankind keeping environmental factors under consideration. Resources such as soybean, castor and orange oil are among highly cultivable agro-resources. Polyols formulated from these oils shows clean-environmental pathway for synthesizing polyurethane foams and sheets. Facile single-step synthesis, with negligible waste as well as byproducts produces 100% qualitative yield for polyurethane foams. Present work displays use of synthesized polyols in developing polyurethane foams and casts. Viscometry, FTIR spectroscopy, GPC and other chemical analysis were done to ensure the quality of the raw materials. Cast Sheets and foams were produced by chemical polymerization with di-phenyl methane diisocyanate …

Use Of Decahydrodecaborate As Flame Retardants In Coatings, Austin Bailey

Paper and Posters Presentations

As the need to protect the environment continues to increase, there is a growing demand for non-halogenated flame retardants. Two different decaborate compounds were combined with triphenylphosphine oxide into polyurethane and characterized. The thermal stability and the potential flame retardancy of the new materials were tested via thermogravimetric analysis and cone calorimetry. The cone test provided heat release rates and smoke release rates. Per the results of these tests the combination of the new decaborate, and triphenylphosphine oxide showed potential for flame retardancy at minimal amounts of flame retardant.

High Performance Carbon Nanofiber Supercapacitor Electrode With Tuned Porous Structure, Sanket Bhoyate

Paper and Posters Presentations

High performance capacitor devices based on electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) principle has wide advantage of higher range of cyclic stability, rate capability, temperature durability and chemically resistant. Carbon based materials such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, activated carbon and carbon nanofibers are well known supercapacitor materials derived till date. Creating pores within the physical structure has found to improve the EDLC capabilities of the material. Exfoliation of graphene, activation of carbon and activation of nanofibers via various different techniques seem to be too complicated, non-consistent and needs wide range of control parameters. Facile immiscible polymer blend technique followed by thermal …

Hydrothermal Synthesis And Electrochemical Examination Of Nanostructured Cobalt Sulfide For High Performance Energy Storage Devices, Samiyah Aloqayli

Paper and Posters Presentations

With increasing worlds energy and power demand, there is urgency needed in developing high performance and stable materials for energy applications. Supercapacitors hold great potential in future energy storage devices due to their high-energy performance, ability to have high power density, fast charge-discharge capability and long cyclability. Researchers in recent years have been shown significant progress for the improvement of supercapacitor performance and development of cost effective performing materials for energy storage applications. In this work, we have reported the synthesis of nanostructured cobalt oxide (Co3O4) converted into cobalt sulfide (Co8S9) that prepared using a facile hydrothermal method. We have …

Moleculary Targeted Nanomedicine: Role Of Hsp90 Inhibitor And Sophorolipids, Shuguftha Naz

Paper and Posters Presentations

Oncogenic K-RAS, one of the major histologic subtypes of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 25% of the lung cancer related deaths. Hsp90, a ubiquitously expressed molecular chaperone is considered to be a promising target for therapeutic intervention. It is known to interact with several client proteins that are important in the pathogenesis of the cancer. Ganetespib, an Hsp90 inhibitor has been shown to have superior anti-tumor activity in several K-RAS mutant NSCLC cell lines. In addition, lactonic sophorolipids (LSL), a class of chemo-enzymatically modified glycolipids, are known to be promising immunomodulators and have shown to decrease the mortality rate …

Chemical Vapor Deposition Of Two-Dimensional Materials And Heterostructures, Alex J. Boson

Department of Chemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A family of materials similar to graphene are transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) which have emerged as an improved alternative. Importantly, each combination of TMD is unique, possessing different properties. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has become a popular method to grow TMDs at large scale and in reproducible fashion. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) has been intensely studied at the monolayer due the creation of an indirect band gap but little has been done to investigate few layered structures and as the number of layers change, so do the properties. In this work, CVD is utilized to grow uniform bilayer and …

Gallium-Doped Microporous Γ-Al2o3: The Effect Of Preparative Conditions And Composition On The Textural Properties And The Catalytic Activity In Methanol Conversion To Dimethyl Ether As A Clean Fuel Alternative, Rawad Maarouf Bou Jaber

Theses

Solid acid catalysts, such as γ-alumina, are important materials in different catalytic applications such as dehydration reactions of alcohols. Methanol is one of the most important intermediates that can be obtained from natural gas and can be further converted to other efficient fuels and chemicals. Dimethyl ether, which can be obtained from methanol, is being considered as a promising future fuel besides being the building block for several industrially important chemicals. Although γ-alumina has shown significant activity for the dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether, improving the conversion and the selectivity at relatively low temperatures is still a major concern. …

Prevention And Reversal Of Selenite-Induced Cataracts By N-Acetylcysteine Amide In Wistar Rats, Yasaswi Maddirala, Shakila Tobwala, Humeyra Karacal, Nuran Ercal

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Background: The present study sought to evaluate the efficacy of N-acetylcysteine amide (NACA) eye drops in reversing the cataract formation induced by sodium selenite in male Wistar rat pups.

Methods: Forty male Wistar rat pups were randomly divided into a control group, an N-acetylcysteine amide-only group, a sodium selenite-induced cataract group, and a NACA-treated sodium selenite-induced cataract group. Sodium selenite was injected intraperitoneally on postpartum day 10, whereas N-acetylcysteine amide was injected intraperitoneally on postpartum days 9, 11, and 13 in the respective groups. Cataracts were evaluated at the end of week 2 (postpartum day 14) when the rat pups …

Multi-Scaled Approaches For Protecting Montana's Watersheds And Water Resources, Elizabeth Yoder

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

The central theme carried among my four portfolio pieces is: using scientific and governmental approaches to conserve watershed health. For the purposes of this portfolio, I define watershed health as a very general term that describes the state of water quantity and quality that is available for human and ecosystem needs in a watershed. I see each of my portfolio pieces focusing on a different scale and method (i.e., science or government, including different levels of government, local, state and federal) for conserving watershed health. My first portfolio piece reviews water quality degradation caused by pharmaceuticals and personal care products …

Quef-Like, A Non-Homologous Archaeosine Synthase From The Crenarchaeota, Adriana Bon Ramos, Lide Bao, Ben Turner, Valérie De Crécy-Lagard, Dirk Iwata-Reuyl

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Archaeosine (G+) is a structurally complex modified nucleoside ubiquitous to the Archaea, where it is found in the D-loop of virtually all archaeal transfer RNA (tRNA). Its unique structure, which includes a formamidine group that carries a formal positive charge, and location in the tRNA, led to the proposal that it serves a key role in stabilizing tRNA structure. Although G+ is limited to the Archaea, it is structurally related to the bacterial modified nucleoside queuosine, and the two share homologous enzymes for the early steps of their biosynthesis. In the Euryarchaeota, the last step of the archaeosine biosynthetic pathway …

Integrating The Field Of Prebiotic Chemistry Into A Christian Worldview, Matthew B. Anderson

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis will provide an overarching examination into the scientific field of prebiotic chemistry, the purported chemistry of the formation of life on earth. Prebiotic chemistry is a critical area of science particularly for Christian scientists to study since it is used by many evolutionists as evidence for the evolution of life, rather than the formation by an intelligent designer. Extensive literature-based research from previously published articles will be conducted on the formation of biologically necessary molecules, including amino acids. Primary focus will be placed on the formation of amino acids in a primordial earth environment, first demonstrated by the …

Epr Studies Of Curvature-Dependent Conformational Equilibrium In Full-Length Influenza A M2 Protein, D. Stuart Arbuckle Jr, '17

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

Matrix 2 (M2) is a homotetrameric integral membrane protein of the influenza A virus demonstrated to be required for generation of membrane curvature resulting in viral budding. The C-terminal amphipathic helix of M2 has been shown to generate negative Gaussian membrane curvature, required at the neck of a budding virion, dependent on membrane composition. In this thesis, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is used to investigate the conformational dynamics of M2's amphipathic helix in liposomes consisting of DOPE and DOPC, lipids of varying intrinsic curvature propensity, as well as cholesterol enrichment. The amphipathic helix is demonstrated to populate two conformations, …

Conformational Studies Of A Domain Of The Influenza A M2 Protein Involved In Viral Budding And Morphology, Alice L. Herneisen , '17

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

In my two years working in the Howard lab, I have cycled through a number of projects. These projects fall under the broad context of studying of how the cytoplasmic tail of a particular membrane protein of the influenza A virus, the Matrix protein 2 (M2), is involved in viral budding. I have chosen to present each project in the form of an independent manuscript, with separate Introduction, Experimental, Results, and Discussion sections. Some broader background and theory is briefly provided in Chapters 1 and 2, but Chapters 3-5 are designed to be largely self-contained. Potential future directions pertaining to …

Exploring Cyclizations Of Planar Chiral Η-4 Iron(0) Tricarbonyl Diene Complexes, Mason L. Yu , '17

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

We diastereoselectively synthesize η-4 iron(0) tricarbonyl diene complexes with the use of the oxazolidinone chiral auxiliary. The main focus of this project is to induce cyclizations via three synthetic pathways: the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction, ring-closing enyne metathesis, and the gold(I) catalyzed methoxycyclization. Although we do not succeed in inducing these cyclizations, we demonstrate the compatibility of the iron(0) tricarbonyl complex with gold(I), and chromium(II) reagents.

Mmtv-Pymt And Derived Met-1 Mouse Mammary Tumor Cells As Models For Studying The Role Of The Androgen Receptor In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Progression, Jessica L. Christenson, Kiel T. Butterfield, Nicole S. Spoelstra, John D. Norris, Jatinder S. Josan, Julie A. Pollock, Donald P. Mcdonnell, Benita S. Katzenellenbogen, John A. Katzenellenbogen, Jennifer K. Richer

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a faster rate of metastasis compared to other breast cancer subtypes and no effective targeted therapies are currently FDA-approved. Recent data indicate that the androgen receptor (AR) promotes tumor survival and may serve as a potential therapeutic target in TNBC. Studies of AR in disease progression and the systemic effects of anti-androgens have been hindered by the lack of an AR-positive (AR+) immunocompetent preclinical model. In this study we identified the transgenic MMTV-PyMT (mouse mammary tumor virus-polyoma middle tumor antigen) mouse mammary gland carcinoma model of breast cancer and Met-1 cells derived from this model …

Microbial Degradation Of Various Organic Pollutants Using Bacteria Isolated From Petroleum Sludge, Manal Ali Alhefeiti

Theses

Intensification of agriculture and manufacturing industries has resulted in increased release of a wide range of xenobiotic compounds to the environment. The extensive discharge of hazardous waste in industrial wastewater and the recalcitrant nature of some of these organic pollutants have fueled a strong interest in exploring efficient and environmentally friendly approaches for wastewater remediation. Bioremediation approaches can provide efficient, inexpensive and environmentally safe cleanup tools. In the present study, our main objective was to isolate novel bacterial strains from UAE petroleum sludge and to examine their abilities to degrade various aromatic pollutants, including azo dyes and emerging pollutants. We …

On The Structure And Properties Of S-Nitrosated Cysteine Models: A Computational Study, Dmitry Khomyakov

Dissertations (1934 -)

S-Nitrosation of cysteine (Cys) residues, a covalent modification of its S atom by NO group, is a major post-translational modification of proteins. Despite the importance of S-nitrosoproteins in numerous physiological processes, lability of the S-nitrosothiol (-SNO) group hinders the research progress. In this work, computational chemistry methods were applied to S-nitrosated cysteine (CysNO) models to gain a deeper insight into its structure and properties. First, we obtained the most accurate at the moment computational estimation of the molecular structure and properties of CH3SNO model molecule using Feller-Peterson-Dixon (FPD) ab initio protocol. The S–N bond length in cis- CH3SNO is calculated …