Chemistry

Mentor: T. Bender

The REU participant will learn how to perform air-free manipulation techniques to synthesize new organometallic catalysts to perform carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bond activation. Catalysts containing multiple metals will be investigated with the goal of preparing a homogeneous catalyst that can mimic the influence of the enzymatic electric field on reactivity. The REU student will learn to use state-of-the-art glovebox and Schlenk line techniques that allow chemists to run reactions in absence of air which can contaminate the rare metals used in their catalysts. 除了, the REU student will learn how to identify and characterize organometallic catalysts using a variety of spectroscopic techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 红外光谱学, 质谱法, 和x射线晶体学.

Mentor: K. Lambert

REU participants will be trained in wet chemistry techniques to develop "green" catalysts as a sustainable alternative to metals for mild, 无害环境的氧化. 这些新的合成方法在天然产物的合成和新药物的开发中有着广泛的应用. The REU student will be exposed to a diverse set of synthetic organic chemistry techniques including: rational reaction design; setting up organic reactions; purification techniques (distillation, 闪光色谱法, high performance liquid chromatography); and characterization of the products (NMR spectroscopy, 红外光谱, polarimetry, 和高分辨率质谱).

Mentor: B. Ramjee

REU学生将探索用于光聚合的新型溶剂介质，以获得不同形态的聚合物结构, 迄今为止通过其他方式无法到达. In doing so, the participant will synthesize RTATT monomers with engineered monomer reactivity and monitor the kinetics of the thiolene photopolymerization. 参与者将获得多步骤有机合成的经验, 聚合技术和一系列的分析工具，比如核磁共振, IR, MS, UV-VIS, HPLC, SEC, TGA, TEM, and SEM.

Mentor: J. Cooper

REU参与者将使用化学计量学技术创建一个模型，用于预测燃料样品的原产国. 燃料的振动谱将在钻石级ATR仪器上收集. Participants will also gain experience with SERS and other analytical methods as well as data-analytical approaches to problem solving.

Mentor: P. Hatcher

REU participants will be exposed to ongoing field and laboratory studies and gain firsthand experience with state-of-the-art analytical and extraction techniques, 包括多维核磁共振, GC-MS, FTIR, FT离子回旋共振质谱法. They will determine the nature of dissolved and sedimentary organic matter and evaluate the chemistry associated with the manner in which this organic matter is formed by transformation of terrestrial lignin or combustion residues of woody materials. Studies will be conducted at a small scale in proven experimental setups to guarantee successful data generation and a positive experience of scientific research for undergraduate students.

Mentor: A. Holder

The REU student will explore the dynamics and conduct mechanistic studies of photocatalytic hydrogen generation based on supramolecular mixed-metal complexes. 我们将探索二亚胺-二肟和多吡啶作为配体, 还有一种新型的膦基片段作为桥接配体, 确保在酸性和弱碱性水性介质中的稳定性. REU学生还将协助配体和配合物的合成和表征, 并将涉及使用光谱学来阐明每个化合物的结构. REU学生将学习如何获取电化学、核磁共振和EPR光谱数据.

Mentor: C. Bayse

REU participants will use high performance computational methods to study chemical problems related to protein science or development of new energetic materials. 参与者将学习在基于linux的集群上使用计算化学软件运行计算的基础知识, 通过图形用户界面构建和分析计算数据, 用实验数据来解释理论结果.

Mentor: J. Lee

REU参与者将接触到ODU正在进行的生物炭研究, 包括在生物炭生产的实验室实验的第一手经验, 氧等离子体处理, 以及产品特性. 其中包括测量生物炭的阳离子交换能力, 评估生物炭的持水能力, 测定生物炭的pH值, 用生物测定法分析潜在的生物炭毒素.

Mentor: J. Mao

REU学生将学习湿化学方法来分析太阳能电池中使用的有机分子的结构和性质, 核磁共振光谱的一系列先进技术, 并将获得应用分析技术来表征复杂物质的赞赏.

Mentor: G. Wang

The REU participant's research will center on the synthesis of a series of D-glucose and D-glucosamine derivatives and the analysis of their self-assembling properties. 它们也可用于研究控释给药谱. 通过这个跨学科的REU项目, students will learn basic organic synthesis techniques including setting up organic reactions and characterization of chiral compounds. 这取决于每个学生的兴趣, 他们还可以参与其生物学应用的研究. 我们的实验室配备了有机合成和表征的基本仪器, 包括微波合成器和自动闪光色谱仪系统. 参与的学生将学习综合技术和使用分析工具, 包括核磁共振波谱和LCMS, 用于化合物鉴定.

Mentor: J. Poutsma

The REU student will study the mechanisms of these reactions and investigate the basis of the different reactivities using ab initio calculations. Initial calculations on both the classic and intramolecular Schmidt reactions suggest that solvents should have a large effect on this reaction; therefore, 研究了各种隐式溶剂化方法对反应能量学的影响. 特别是, the REU student will apply the CPCM method at various dielectric constants to the classic Schmidt reaction and the acetone-plus-ethyl azide reaction at the MP2/6-31G(d) level of theory. 从这些研究中, the REU student will learn about the correct application of computational methods to problems that cannot be studied by direct experiments.

Mentor: S. Pagola

The REU participant will study solid-state mechanochemical reactions leading to the formation of organic co-crystals (such as pharmaceutical co-crystals, 药物之间co-crystals, 和有机电荷转移配合物). 机械化学反应可以通过将有机反应物的粉末与少量液体一起研磨而发生. 具有不同官能团的有机固体对之间可能形成的共晶.g., 酸和碱)将根据剑桥结构数据库及其软件中的信息进行评估, pKa计算和文献检索. REU学生将收集和分析各种固态技术的数据.g., 傅立叶变换红外光谱, 熔点测定, 元素分析, 光学显微镜, 热重量分析法, 同步加速器和实验室x射线粉末衍射, etc.)来理解固态反应和得到的产物.