Chemistry Commons^™

Learning Chemistry Through Experimentation, Brent Kamba `, Dr. Jennifer Nielson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

There is a great need for students to learn scientific skills in Uganda. Very few students pass the national chemistry exams (about 40%) and even fewer go on to study science fields in higher education. The teaching methods in Uganda are a little bit old fashion where students often just learn facts and practise rote memorization. Rarely do they develop the critical and analytical skills to help them succeed in science jobs. Teachers also express that the curriculum is very theoretical, and not experimental.

Assessment Of Silk Degradation Using Pyrolysis, Conor Makepeace

Honors Projects in Science and Technology

The purpose of this research is to investigate the molecular constitution of silk and the specific causes of post-production degradation in silk material. This capstone project focused specifically on the conditions and degradation of ancient Chinese silk products provided by the Chinese National Silk Museum. Modern silk products were artificially degraded and compared to the ancient silk using Py-GC-MS and comparative analytic techniques. This investigation revealed that the ancient silk products most likely underwent degradation in elevated temperatures while in the presence of moisture and the absence of sunlight or UV radiation during long term burial.

Chemistry And Biochemistry News, Georgia Southern University

Biochemistry, Chemistry & Physics: News & Publications (2012-2023)

• Eagles Fly to Denver for Chemistry Presentations

Chemistry And Biochemistry News, Georgia Southern University

Biochemistry, Chemistry & Physics: News & Publications (2012-2023)

• Eagles Fly to Denver for Chemistry Presentations

Comparative Genomics Of Cluster O Mycobacteriophages, Steven G. Cresawn, Welkin H. Pope, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Charles A. Bowman, Daniel A. Russell, Rebekah M. Dedrick, Tamarah Adair, Kirk R. Anders, Sarah Ball, David Bollivar, Caroline Breitenberger, Sandra H. Burnett, Kristen Butela, Deanna Byrnes, Sarah Carzo, Dr. Kathleen Cornely, Trevor Cross, Richard L. Daniels, David Dunbar, Ann M. Findley, Chris R. Gissendanner, Urszula P. Golebiewska, Grant A. Hartzog, J. Robert Hatherill, Lee E. Hughes, Chernoh S. Jalloh, Carla De Los Santos, Kevin Ekanem, Sphindile L. Khambule, Rodney A. King, Christina King-Smith, Karen Klyczek, Greg P. Krukonis, Christian Laing, Jonathan S. Lapin, A. Javier Lopez, Sipho M. Mkhwanazi, Sally D. Molloy, Deborah Moran, Vanisha Munsamy, Eddie Pacey, Ruth Plymale, Marianne Poxleitner, Nathan Reyna, Joel F. Schildbach, Joseph Stukey, Sarah E. Taylor, Vassie C. Ware, Amanda L. Wellmann, Daniel Westholm, Donna Wodarski, Michelle Zajko, Thabiso S. Zikalala, Roger W. Hendrix, Graham F. Hatfull

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Mycobacteriophages – viruses of mycobacterial hosts – are genetically diverse but morphologically are all classified in the Caudovirales with double-stranded DNA and tails. We describe here a group of five closely related mycobacteriophages – Corndog, Catdawg, Dylan, Firecracker, and YungJamal – designated as Cluster O with long flexible tails but with unusual prolate capsids. Proteomic analysis of phage Corndog particles, Catdawg particles, and Corndog-infected cells confirms expression of half of the predicted gene products and indicates a non-canonical mechanism for translation of the Corndog tape measure protein. Bioinformatic analysis identifies 8–9 strongly predicted SigA promoters and all five Cluster O …

Theoretical Examination Of Solvent And R Group Dependence In Gold Thiolate Nanoparticle Synthesis, Suzanne M. Neidhart, Brian M. Barngrover, Christine M. Aikens

Faculty Publications

The growth of gold thiolate nanoparticles can be affected by the solvent and the R group on the ligand. In this work, the difference between methanol and benzene solvents as well as the effect of alkyl (methyl) and aromatic (phenyl) thiols on the reaction energies and barrier heights is investigated theoretically. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations using the BP86 functional and a triple ζ polarized basis set show that the overall reaction favors methylthiol over phenylthiol with reaction energies of −0.54 and −0.39 eV in methanol, respectively. At the same level of theory, the methanol solvent is favored over the …

The Importance Of Context: An Exploration Of Factors Influencing The Adoption Of Student-Centered Teaching Among Chemistry, Biology, And Physics Faculty, Travis J. Lund, Marilyne Stains

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

Background: Research at the secondary and postsecondary levels has clearly demonstrated the critical role that individual and contextual characteristics play in instructors’ decision to adopt educational innovations. Although recent research has shed light on factors influencing the teaching practices of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty, it is still not well understood how unique departmental environments impact faculty adoption of evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) within the context of a single institution. In this study, we sought to characterize the communication channels utilized by STEM faculty, as well as the contextual and individual factors that influence the teaching practices …

The Periodical Winter 2015, Southern Adventist University

the Periodical – Chemistry Department Newsletter

Volume 2, issue 1 of the Periodical includes a message from department chair Brent Hamstra, recognition of high-achieving chemistry students, a welcome to new office manager Heidi Olson, a pictorial listing of May 2015 graduates, an article about students presenting undergraduate research, and an alumni spotlight.

Photogenerated O-Azaxylylenes: Mechanistic Studies And Synthetic Applications, William Cole Cronk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research sets out to build upon excited state o-azaxylylene cycloaddition. The mechanism behind the excitation and cycloaddition process of photogenerated o-azaxylylenes was determined experimentally. Time-correlated single-photon counting, steady-state spectroscopy, triplet quenching experiments, and quantum yield studies provided evidence suggesting that excited state intramolecular proton transfer is followed by intersystem crossing and stepwise addition to the tethered unsaturated pendant.

In keeping with the principles of diversity oriented synthesis, a modular approach was taken to gain access to a diverse array of N,O,S-Polyheterocycles which were modified postphotochemically via Suzuki coupling to yield fused biaryls. Cycloaddition products, outfitted with halogens …

Characterization Of Cold Drawn Poly L Lactic Acid By Raman Spectroscopy And Raman Hyperspectral Imaging, Ramya Sudha Muttavarapu

ETD Archive

Artificial modulation of bone growth and repair processes is an important area of current research. Studies have established that the micro mechanical and bulk physical properties of a polymer implant influence its performance behavior and degradation patterns in the body. One important parameter for the class of polymers known as polylactides is the degree of crystalline character. Hence, studying the bulk and micro crystalline composition of an important polymer implant, Poly-L-Lactic acid is the objective of this study. Poly-L-Lactic acid has elastic properties that can be tailored to resemble natural bone and its reaction to mechanical stress. Varying degrees of …

Investigating The Synthesis Of Heterocycles Via Gold Catalyzed Cyclizations And Cyclo-Dehydrating Reactions, Katherine L. Childers

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

The goal of this project was to study novel synthetic procedures for heterocycles. This was achieved through a two-part investigation. In the first part, a variety of conditions for the gold catalyzed cyclization of allenes were studied. This work was focused on the lesser studied intermolecular reactions of allenes. A variety of allenes were synthesized, and then reacted with 1,3-dipoles and a gold catalyst. These reactions were determined to be unsuccessful through the analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy data. In the second part of this study, the synthesis of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles was investigated. Several cited procedures were examined to determine …

Plant Species Rather Than Climate Greatly Alters The Temporal Pattern Of Litter Chemical Composition During Long-Term Decomposition, Yongfu Li, Na Chen, Mark E. Harmon, Yuan Li, Xiaoyan Cao, Mark A. Chappell, Jingdong Mao

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

A feedback between decomposition and litter chemical composition occurs with decomposition altering composition that in turn influences the decomposition rate. Elucidating the temporal pattern of chemical composition is vital to understand this feedback, but the effects of plant species and climate on chemical changes remain poorly understood, especially over multiple years. In a 10-year decomposition experiment with litter of four species (Acer saccharum, Drypetes glauca, Pinus resinosa, and Thuja plicata) from four sites that range from the arctic to tropics, we determined the abundance of 11 litter chemical constituents that were grouped into waxes, carbohydrates, …

Assessment Of Water Vapor Isotopologue Measurements By Ace-Fts And Odin-Smr, Ralf Bauer, Patrick Sheese, Kaley Walker, Joachim Urban, Donal Murtagh, Chris Boone, Peter Bernath, Gloria Manney

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Knowing the isotopic composition of trace gases can improve our understanding of processes in the Earth's atmosphere causing isotopic fractionation. In many studies, isotopologue (molecules of identical chemical but different isotopic composition) amounts are primarily discussed as δ values, which are defined relative to a standard, e.g.:

Ace-Fts And Haloe Observations Of Hydrogen Fluoride (Hf) And Their Comparison With Slimcat Chemical Transport Model Calculations, Jeremy Harrison, Martyn Chipperfield, Chris Boone, Peter Bernath, Lucien Froidevaux, John Anderson, James Russell Iii

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The majority of fluorine in the atmosphere has resulted from the anthropogenic emission of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Most tropospheric fluorine is present in its emitted 'organic' form due to the molecules having long lifetimes (up to a decade or longer). Thus they are able to reach the stratosphere where they are broken down, liberating fluorine. The principal degradation products are carbonyl fluoride (COF2), carbonyl chloride fluoride (COClF), and hydrogen fluoride (HF); of these HF is the most abundant. In fact at the top of the stratosphere most of the fluorine is present as HF, which, due …

Characterization Of Noncovalent Complexes Of Polyelectrolytes By Mass Spectrometry, Anthony J. Marino

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Various ions of poly-L-lysine and polystyrene sulfonic acid were successfully observed first within a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometer and subsequently in an electrospray ionization mass spectrometer. The successful ionization of these polymers allowed for studies to be performed on the noncovalent interactions between the two. Noncovalent interactions were effectively studied on both instruments, but further quantified using tandem mass spectrometry found within the MALDI system and ion-mobility mass spectrometry found within the electrospray ionization system. As a result of employing the use of ion-mobility, various different stoichiometries and charges of polyelectrolyte complexes could be distinguished.

Gold Nanomolecules : Developing Synthetic Protocols, Characterization And Investigation Of Ligand Effects On Structure And Properties, Praneeth Reddy Nimmala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The term "Nano" in chemistry refers to particles/molecules in the size range 1 to 100 nm. Gold nanoparticles were used in ancient times in making decorative glass as they produce vibrant, size dependent, colors upon interaction with light. Gold is a preferred choice of metal for the synthesis of nanoparticles mainly due to its inertness to atmospheric conditions and most chemicals. Gold thiolate nanomolecules, which is the primary focus of this dissertation research, are chemical molecules with a fixed number of gold atoms and organo-thiolate ligands. They are of the form Aux(SR)y and possess molecule-like properties as a result of …

Potential Tau Directed Imaging Agents, Amanda Merrill Boyer

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Given the ambident reactivity of oxindoles in terms of N- versus C-alkylation, realization of the three points of diversity available to (presumably benzenoid substituted) benzylidene oxindoles is normally achieved via a sequence involving initial N-alkylation of the corresponding isatin precursor, reductive deoxygenation to the N-alkylated oxindole, and finally aldol condensation to the desired target. Since benzenoid substituted isatins are generally more readily available than the corresponding oxindoles, an alternate but much less examined manifold involves reduction of the isatin to an oxindole, aldolization at the C-3 position followed by N-alkylation of the resultant benzylidene oxindole. Since benzylidene oxindoles have potential …

Icp-Oes Analysis Of The Chemical Composition Of Hypergolic Mixtures, Monique Jones

Undergraduate Research Posters

Hypergolic mixtures involve a chemical reaction between an oxidant and a fuel source. These reactions are self-igniting and can be performed using common household materials. The ease of access to the reactants, and delayed ignition have increased the occurrence of hypergolic mixtures in arson-related crimes and incendiary devices. Currently, few chemical signatures exist to link hypergolic residues to a perpetrator. This makes it difficult to obtain forensically relevant information from evidence during an investigation. A hypergolic reaction of interest to forensic laboratories involves combustion between a glycol-based fuel source and potassium permanganate. Past studies have determined that one can distinguish …

Physicochemical And Structural Analysis Of Polymers As Putative Drugs, Meghan L. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Sulfated low molecular weight lignins (LMWLs) have shown good activity as anticoagulants by allosterically inhibiting thrombin, as well as promising agents for treating emphysema through inhibition of elastolysis, oxidation, and inflammation. Sulfated LMWLs are chemo-enzymatically synthesized from starting monomers caffeic, ferulic, and sinapic acid into sulfated dehydropolymers known as CDS, FDS, and SDS. To further the LMWLs’ development as drugs, their structural composition and physicochemical characteristics were defined in this work. The molecular weight distribution profile of the sulfated LMWLs from size exclusion chromatography performed on a high pressure liquid chromatography system (SEC-HPLC) changed from bimodal when no surfactant is …

A Continuous Process Towards The Synthesis Of Quinolones, Stevara N. Clinton

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The development of quinolones is described from the first quinolone to the latest fluoroquinolones. Quinolones have generated considerable interest since their discovery because of their antibacterial capabilities. Analogs incorporating the 4-quinolone ring system comprise a largely expanding group of synthetic compounds. The development of antibacterial resistance has created the need for an efficient synthesis of quinolones that can be easily adapted toward the assembly of quinolone based antibacterial drugs.

There are several reported approaches to the 4-quinolone ring system. Many of these methods use expensive starting materials, require the removal of high boiling solvents, or use high temperature conditions …

Simultaneous Determination Of Multiple Actinide Elements In A Variety Of Soils Utilizing A Standardized Sequential Extraction Protocol, Sherry Alina Faye

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

To obtain a better understanding of the mobility of actinide element contaminants in the environment, the association of the contaminants with specific host phases of soils and sediments must be investigated. This investigation is most commonly conducted using sequential extraction techniques that employ the selective dissolution of soil phases with increasingly aggressive chemical treatment. Though several sequential extraction studies exist in literature, conclusions cannot be made by direct comparison of data due to the lack of uniformity in the protocols used. This work aims to continue development of a standard sequential extraction protocol and expanding its capabilities to include the …

Self-Assembly And Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization Of A Bifunctional Carbonate–Stilbene Macrocycle, Yuewen Xu, Weiwei L. Xu, Mark D. Smith, Linda S. Shimizu

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Using Interviews In Cer Projects: Options, Considerations, And Limitations, Deboarh G. Herrington, Patrick L. Daubenmire

Peer Reviewed Articles

Interviews can be a powerful chemistry education research tool. Different from an assessment score or Likert-scale survey number, interviews can provide the researcher with a way to examine and describe what we cannot see, aspects such as feelings, thoughts, or explanations of thinking or behavior. Most people have no doubt seen countless interviews on TV news and talk shows. These sessions might convey interviewing as a spontaneous, easy, and straightforward process. However, using interviews as a meaningful research tool requires considerable thought, preparation, and practice. This chapter provides a general introduction to the use of interviews as a tool within …

Chemistry Department Newsletter 2014, Ken Overway

Chemistry Department Newsletters

This document contains a summary of news and events from the chemistry department from the 2013-2014 academic year.

The Periodical Fall 2014, Southern Adventist University

the Periodical – Chemistry Department Newsletter

Volume 1, issue 2 of the Periodical includes articles about Brent Hamstra accepting the Chair position, a student missions feature, Chemistry Club news, pictures of the department's Candyland decorations for National Chemistry Week, an alumni spotlight, and listing of December 2014 graduates.

Regulating Signal Enhancement With Coordination-Coupled Deprotonation Of A Hydrazone Switch, Justin T. Foy, Debdas Ray, Ivan Aprahamian

Dartmouth Scholarship

Proton relay plays an important role in many biocatalytic pathways. In order to mimic such processes in the context of molecular switches, we developed coordination-coupled deprotonation (CCD) driven signaling and signal enhancement sequences. This was accomplished by using the zinc(ii)-initiated CCD of a hydrazone switch to instigate an acid catalyzed imine bond hydrolysis that separates a quencher from a fluorophore thus leading to emission amplification. Because CCD is a reversible process, we were able to show that the catalysis can be regulated and turned “on” and “off” using a metalation/demetalation cycle.

Low Voltage Electrowetting Device And Method For Making Same, Yuguang Cai, Xiaoning Zhang

Chemistry Faculty Patents

An electrowetting device includes a substrate having a first face, a charged adhesion layer immobilized on the first face of the substrate and a dielectric layer bound to the charged adhesion layer. An unbound ionic liquid phase contacts the dielectric layer.

A Novel Dual Allosteric Activation Mechanism Of Escherichia Coli Adp-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase: The Role Of Pyruvate, Matías D. Asención Diez, Mabel C. Aleanzi, Alberto A. Iglesias, Miguel Ballicora

Chemistry: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate activates ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and the synthesis of glycogen in Escherichia coli. Here, we show that although pyruvate is a weak activator by itself, it synergically enhances the fructose-1,6-bisphosphate activation. They increase the enzyme affinity for each other, and the combination increases Vmax, substrate apparent affinity, and decreases AMP inhibition. Our results indicate that there are two distinct interacting allosteric sites for activation. Hence, pyruvate modulates E. coli glycogen metabolism by orchestrating a functional network of allosteric regulators. We postulate that this novel dual activator mechanism increases the evolvability of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and its related metabolic control.

Development And Application Of Explicitly Correlated Wave Function Based Methods For The Investigation Of Optical Properties Of Semiconductor Nanomaterials, Jennifer Mary Elward

Dissertations - ALL

Semiconductor nanoparticles, or quantum dots (QDs), are well known to have very unique optical and electronic properties. These properties can be controlled and tailored as a function of several influential factors, including but not limited to the particle size and shape, effect of composition and heterojunction as well as the effect of ligand on the particle surface. This customizable nature leads to extensive experimental and theoretical research on the capabilities of these quantum dots for many application purposes.

However, in order to be able to understand and thus further the development of these materials, one must first understand the fundamental …

Nanocarbon Immobilized Membrane For Separation And Analysis, Madhuleena Bhadra

Dissertations

Membrane processes classically cover a wide range of applications associated with various aspects of separation and purification. Over the last few years, membrane based processes have received much interest due to their compact and modular architecture, low energy consumption and cost effective separation. With the development of diverse nanomaterials which can serve as nanosorbents, or provide specific morphology for selective solute transport, recent years have witnessed the emergence of nanocarbon based membranes that can address some of the limitations of conventional membrane processes and make feasible the next generation of breakthroughs.

The objective of this research is the exploration of …