Category: Chemistry and Physics
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Tuberculosis Drug Synthesis Project
By Devda Nair, Rachel Rios Faculty Mentor: Davis Oldham Abstract Tuberculosis is a major global health problem, and new compounds are needed to treat drug-resistant strains. One target for new drugs is the KasA enzyme, which is involved in bacterial cell wall synthesis. The goal of this project was to synthesize an analogue of a…
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Tuberculosis Drug Synthesis
By Abaigeal Higgins & Molly Ryan Gates Faculty Mentor: Dr. Davis Oldham Abstract The purpose of this lab was to propose and perform a sequence of reactions to create a target molecule that could be used to cure tuberculosis using a pre-selected list of reactions including reactants. First, thionyl chloride, 1-napthalenemethanol, and CH2Cl2 were gradually…
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Quantification of Caffeine, Riboflavin, and Pyridoxine Content in a Bang Energy Drink via HPLC Analysis
By Hayden George, Jill Rosenquist Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sarah Smith Abstract Energy drinks contain high levels of caffeine and numerous B vitamins. Bang Energy promotes beneficial vitamins for athletes, as well as being a source of energy for consumers. We experimentally determined the amount of caffeine, riboflavin (B2), and pyridoxine (B6) present in a cotton…
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Comparative Analysis of HPLC and Fluorescence Spectroscopy for Caffeine Detection in Alani Dream Float
By Jenna Compton-Padua, Henry Gudiel Vargas Faculty Mentor: Sarah Smith Abstract Caffeine, a naturally occurring stimulant for the central nervous system, is widely consumed to enhance alertness, mood, and physical performance. Caffeine is a major component is energy drinks, especially the Alani Dream Float energy drink which corporates 200mg. There has been a significant increase…
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Measuring the Concentration of Vitamins B2 and B6 in Bloom Energy Drink with UV-Vis Spectroscopy
By Lillianne Fish, Savannah Welge Faculty Mentor: Sarah Smith Abstract B-vitamins within energy drinks are required to convert added sugars into energy that our bodies can process and use. Many B-complex vitamins, like riboflavin (B2) and pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6), are common additives found within energy drinks. These compounds display high absorption intensities found in the…
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Paleo-Detectors for Dark Matter, Modeling Damage Tracks in Ancient Minerals
By Ryan Coupland Faculty Mentor: Desmond Villalba Abstract The nature of dark matter remains elusive, yet predictions suggest that it should be about six times as prevalent compared to baryonic matter throughout the universe. Finding dark matter would hence be massive for expanding our understanding of our universe. Many ultra-sensitive direct detectors have been built,…
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Click Reactions with Surface-Bound Phosphonate Films toward an Electrocatalytic System for Carbon Dioxide Reduction
By Iaroslavna Koavlenko Faculty Mentor: Nicole Crowder Abstract One way to electrochemically reduce CO2 is to use modified electrode surfaces with bound transition-metal electrocatalysts. Optimal conditions for modifying copper surfaces with (2-azidoethyl) phosphonic acid in acetone have been identified, forming a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) via the tethering by aggregation and growth (T-BAG) method. The subsequently…
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Synthesis of Potential KasA Inhibitor in Search of Alternative Tuberculosis Treatments
By Hyun Cho, Hayden George Faculty Mentor: Dr. Davis Oldham Abstract Multiple analogues for potential tuberculosis (TB) treatment were proposed due to their potential as KasA inhibitors, and a variation was selected for synthetic analysis. A multistep synthesis was thus developed and enacted in an effort to yield 1-(pyrenylmethyl)-4-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]piperidin-4-ol (1). Starting from 1-bromo-3-(trifluoromethyl)benzene and 1-benzyl-4-piperidone,…
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Exploring Transition State Energies of Nitric Oxide Reaction with Ozone Using GAMESS
By Kaylee Knox, Sophia Redmond, Grayson Camp Faculty Mentor: Leanna Giancarlo Abstract The energetics of transition states govern chemical reactivity across atmospheric, industrial, and biological systems. Although Transition State Theory provides a framework for relating molecular structure to macroscopic rate constants, direct experimental characterization of transition states remains limited due to their transient nature. Computational…
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Analyzing the Upper Body Biomechanics of the Volleyball Spike
By Camille Jacome Faculty Mentor: Dr. Matthew Fleenor Abstract Volleyball is a competitive sport that relies on the upper body’s strength and flexibility, joined with coordinated biomechanics. The explosive dynamic movements performed during hitting involve both upper and lower body coordination. In this study, we examined the upper body coordination for the swing technique of…
