Category: Chemistry and Physics
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Evaluating the Applicability of GAMESS for Determining Bond Lengths and Bond Dissociation Energies Through Constructing Potential Energy Curves for H2, N2, F2, Cl2, and Br2
By Iaroslavna Kovalenko and Jillian Pabalan Faculty Mentor: Leanna Giancarlo Abstract The applicability and limitations of the GAMESS dihydrogen potential energy curve computational tool were evaluated for the following diatomic molecules: H2, N2, F2, Cl2, and Br2. The aug-cc-pVDZ basis set and the B3LYP density functional theory (DFT) functional were employed to ensure more accurate…
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Synthesis of Tuberculosis Drug
By Anna Dube, Summerlin Gates Faculty Mentor: Davis Oldham Abstract The purpose of this lab was to synthesize 4-piperidinol, 4-(4-bromophenyl)-1-(2-naphthalenylmethyl)-(9Br, ABr), a drug to treat tuberculosis. To a solution of thionyl chloride and chloromethane chloride, we gradually added 2-napthalene methanol to chloromethane chloride and heated and refluxed and rotor evaporated. To confirm it worked, we…
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Determining Caffeine Concentrations of Energy Drinks Via GC-MS
By Dylan Becker, Rae Saucedo, Daniel Wheeler Faculty Mentor: Sarah Smith Abstract With how prevalent energy drinks and other caffeinated beverages have become, especially with college students, it is more important now than ever to quantify caffeine content in the beverages we drink everyday. An excess of caffeine can cause digestive issues, heart issues, and…
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Battery Performance from a Computational Perspective: Quantum Analysis of Ionization Energy in Alkali Metals
By Elise Henry, Clara LaMoy Faculty Mentor: Dr. Leanna Giancarlo Abstract Lithium-ion batteries dominate modern energy storage; however, alternative alkali metals, such as sodium (Na) and potassium (K), are being explored due to lithium (Li) resource limitations and performance optimization needs. Ionization energy, defined as the energy required to remove an electron from a neutral…
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Comparison of Fluorescence and Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry Methods for Caffeine Quantification in Coconut Berry Red Bull
By Tabitha Melendez, Morgan Stubbs Faculty Mentor: Sarah Smith Abstract Coconut Berry Redbull is a popular flavor of energy drink that is chosen for its high concentration of caffeine per 12-16 ounce serving. To determine caffeine concentration, two methods of analysis were employed. Fluorescence spectroscopy utilizes a quenching technique in which an aspirin sample was…
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Adsorbate-Adsorbate and Adsorbate-Substrate Interactions on Carbon-Like surfaces using the ABC isotherm
By Grayson G Camp Faculty Mentor: Dr Leanna Giancarlo Abstract Adsorption processes are essential in environmental science and industry, especially for contaminant removal. Many of these adsorption processes have been described utilizing traditional adsorption isotherms, such as the Langmuir and Freundlich. Even with these known isotherms, a clear understanding of the underlying adsorbate-adsorbate and adsorbate-substrate…
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The Possibility of Quantum Thermalization in an Isolated Molecule
By Elijah Smith, Ariel Zimmer Faculty Mentor: Dr. Makhija Abstract According to the Eigenstates Thermalization Hypothesis (ETH), a wavepacket of energy eigenstates of a system undergoing unitary time evolution will eventually be well-described by statistical mechanics. Research on quantum asymmetric tops, rigid bodies which have three different moments of inertia along their principal axes, has…
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Targeting Tuberculosis with the Synthesis of a KasA Inhibitor
By Aliya Ather, Lauren Tant Faculty Mentor: Davis Oldham Abstract Mycobacterium tuberculosis attacks the lungs, resulting in a bacterial infection which may be fatal if left untreated. KasA inhibitors prevent enzymes, which synthesize the cell wall of the bacteria, from being produced. 2-(Chloromethyl)naphthalene (1) was synthesized by reacting 2-Naphthalenemethanol (2) with thionyl chloride and pyridine,…
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Modeling of Projectile Motion Through Iterative Numerical Methods
By Elijah Harrington Faculty Mentor: Mickey Skamangas Abstract Modeling projectile motion is important because it helps us predict trajectories with varying conditions and visualize how forces like gravity, lift, and drag shift the outcomes. Though it is possible to model projectile motion using classical Newtonian methods, this produces a closed-form, extremely simplified result that assumes…
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Microplastics on Blood Rheology
By William Burkey Faculty Mentor: Laura Sipe / Matthew C. Fleenor Abstract Microplastic contamination is becoming an increasingly important issue, but there is still little known about how they affect the mechanical properties of tissues. Blood, in particular, relies heavily on its rheological behavior to flow properly and deliver oxygen efficiently, so any disruption to…
