Undergraduate Research Day Projects
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Organized by the University of Houston Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards, Undergraduate Research Day is an annual event showcasing exceptional scholarship undertaken by the UH undergraduate community.
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Browsing Undergraduate Research Day Projects by Subject "Chemistry"
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Item A General Approach to Kinase Inhibitors(2023-04-13) Nguyen, TheresaThe biomolecular pair, composed of either two proteins or two nucleic acids, forms noncovalent bonds. In previous studies regarding such pairs, optical tweezers or atomic force microscopy were used; however, such force based techniques have proven to be inconsistent and time consuming. In a study by De Silva, Yao and Xu, force-induced remnant magnetization spectroscopy (FIRMS) was found to be a more efficient technique through its use of acoustic radiation force (ARF) (2014). This study sought to explore the applicability of this technique and quantify the effects of ARF on thee dissociation of noncovalent pairs ï¾— in this instance, DNA ï¾— duplexes, with respect to time and degree of voltage. Such DNA duplexes were prepared over the period of 24 hours and placed directly beneath a piezo disk which generated the ARF. Quantification of the duplexes was achieved through the use of ImageJ, an image-based processing program, and contrasted with images analyzed using atomic magnetometry. The initial hypothesis was that the number of duplexes broken by ARF would remain constant until it eventually plateaued around 90 seconds at 100 and 200 mv. This study adds to the current literature of both fundamental biomolecular research and practical applications due to the noncovalent bonds being the most prevalent intermolecular bonds in biochemistry.Item Bio-Inspired Tishchenko Reaction(2023-04-13) Padron, JavierSynthesized a biocatalyst that acts like a Tishchenko reaction able to react with di-aldehydes to form cyclic esters, lactones. Lactones have many beneficial biological features such as being anti-microbial and anti-tumor agents. Thus, synthesized iridium catalysts with different substituents and electron groups. Ir1 is the model catalyst that was then modified by changing the substituent to a butylamino and variations with different electron groups to form Ir2, Ir3, and Ir4. A kinematics study was performed on each catalyst. Looking at the GC-MS chromatograms, we are able to determine that Ir3 was the fastest reacting catalyst followed by Ir1. A possible intermediate was observed in the GC-MS which would require more testing to characterize and identify its role. Second experiment focused on limiting the sodium formate, which activates the iridium catalyst. By limiting sodium formate, we are able to determine the rate-determining step and gain an idea about the mechanistic approach of the catalyst. As the first step consists of reducing one aldehyde, then either another reduction occurs or an oxidation reaction. H-NMR standards were used to determine the ratios of the compounds present. More testing is required to make a proper conclusion of how limiting sodium formate affects the reaction and the catalyst.Item Investigating Gold Intermetallics Featuring Disordered Networks(2023-04-13) Doan, Darren; Arrieta, RoyIntermetallic compounds consist of two or more metallic elements that form an ordered structure in a defined stoichiometric ratio. They may possess desirable properties, such as catalysis, superconductivity, and super hardness, with various industrial applications in fields like energy and aerospace. Accordingly, this drives the increased demand to discover new intermetallic compounds. Gold-based intermetallics, in particular, form diverse and complex crystal structures owing to gold's relativistic effects. In this work, systematic exploration was performed in the RE-Au-Si (RE=Y, La) and Na-Au-Cd systems, revealing four new gold-based intermetallic phases with nominal compositions Y(Au0.28Si0.72)2, La(Au0.24Si0.76)2, Na(Au0.51Cd0.49)2, and Na(Au0.9Cd0.1)2. RE-Au-Si phases were arc melted, while Na-Au-Cd phases were reacted in sealed Ta containers at 600°C, followed by annealing at 400°C. The resulting crystal structures were determined via single crystal x-ray diffraction. Y(Au0.28Si0.72)2 and La(Au0.24Si0.76)2 are isotypic and crystallize in the AlB2-type structure, while Na(Au0.51Cd0.49)2 crystallizes in the MgZn2-type structure and Na(Au0.9Cd0.1)2 in the MgCu2-type structure. All four phases feature disordered networks with Au/Si or Au/Cd sites respectively. Le Bail refinement of powder x-ray diffractograms indicates the presence of the product phases, with minor impurities. Density of states calculations reveal metallic behavior in all four phases. These results support that complex intermetallic compounds are significantly influenced by diverse constituents and gold's relativistic effects.