Organic Chemistry
Faculty Research Interests
Prof. Deb Dillner
Overview:
1. Organic Synthesis
2. Collaboration with Professor
Rehill (biology) on a project to
isolate and identify tannins
from oak leaves.
3. Chemical Education
• Projects 1 and 2 fulfill
Biochemistry Option
requirement
Continuing projects:
Prof. Dillner
• 1. Organic Synthesis – Use of Microwave Reactor to
Accelerate Wittig (Horner Eamons) Reaction
Continuing projects:
Prof. Dillner
2. Isolation and identification of tannins
from oak leaves (Midn. J. Francisco) –
Combines LC/MS
2D NMR spectroscopy
Chemical Education Research
• Question: Will changing the order of
topics in SC111 lead to improved
understanding and performance in
SC112?
Prof. Shirley Lin
Overview:
My background is in organometallic and supramolecular chemistry with a
focus on polymers.
My research interests are:
A) developing new catalytic transformations (with Prof MacArthur)
B) synthesis of new functional materials
C) chemistry education
Project : catalytic synthetic methodologies (fulfills biochemistry concentration)
Amidation of aryl chlorides using a current tandem catalytic methodology
(1/C Brice Clairmont)
Previous CTC publications:
K. A. Cannon, M. E. Geuther, C. K. Kelly, S. Lin, and A. H. R. MacArthur Organometallics 2011 30 (15), 4067-4073
M. M. Coughlin, C. K. Kelly, S. Lin, and A. H. R. MacArthur Organometallics 2013 32(12), 3537-3543
Prof. Fitzgerald
Title: Soluble Biomimetic Carbon Monoxide Sensor.
Background:
- There is a need for a cheap portable CO-detecting badge / film.
- Most substances which bind CO also bind oxygen (O2).
- Thus selective detection of trace amounts of CO in air is difficult due to
competitive binding of the much more abundant O2.
- Josh Lebenson (USNA '07)
discovered, studied and
published a new material,
Fe(TATAP), which changes
color on exposure to CO but
which has no detectable affinity
for O2.
- Pybus and West-Santos
(USNA ‘14) and Toohig (USNA
‘15) have improved solubility
and possibly enhanced
CO affinity of Fe(TATAP).
Proposal: Perhaps test other
metals, test in films, etc.
Prof. Fitzgerald
Title: Kinetic Molecular Theory Explanation of Bernoulli’s Principle.
Background:
- Kinetic Molecular Theory, taught in all general chemistry courses,
explains how gases exert pressure on surfaces, effusion / diffusion, etc.
- Bernoulli’s Principle, a fundamental concept in fluid dynamics, states
that the pressure exerted by a flowing fluid is inversely related to the
speed of the fluid.
- two seem incompatible! (to me)
Proposal: Reconcile Kinetic
Molecular Theory and
Bernoulli’s Principle in a way
that can be understood by
general chemistry students
and college professors.
Develop simple laboratory
activities or demonstrations
that explain Bernoulli’s
Principle in terms of Kinetic
Molecular Theory.
Prof. Joe Urban
Overview:
Computational chemistry/molecular modeling of
organic and bioorganic compounds
Projects:
Molecular Modeling Studies of Model Peptide
Mimics
Computational chemistry techniques are being used
to investigate the conformational properties of
modified peptide compounds. The work involves
using molecular modeling software (ex: Spartan) on
local computers as well as remote DoD
supercomputers.
Professor Craig Whitaker
Overview:
My research areas focus on materials
chemistry and polymer chemistry.
Project:
Smart hydrogels incorporating chemical
agent markers and dye sensor molecules
are designed to detect organophosphorus
nerve agents (such as Sarin gas). The
stimuli-responsive hydrogels act as
sensors when immersed in water supplies
and in gas phase detection.
Current students: Eleanor Derouin (‘16) and
Morgan O’Connor (‘16)