Presentation Abstracts
CHEM 23201 - Tuesday
Fall 2011
Updated: 14 Nov 2011 @ 8:43 am
1 November 2011
11:00 – 11:12 Evan Graham
Bromocresol Green
pH indicators are chemical compounds that are used to visually
determine the pH of a solution. Bromocresol green is a commonly used
pH indicator. Bromocresol green is a member of the triphenylmethane
family that is characterized by three phenol groups, two alcohol groups
and a sulfate group. It can be synthesized from one molecule of 2Sulfobenzoic anhydride for every two molecules of m-Cresol. The final
structure of bromocresol green can undergo a chemical change at different
pH’s, which in turn alters the color of the compound, in this case from
yellow at a lower pH to blue at a higher pH. After searching the literature,
I have found that when the pH is increased, the chemical alteration of
bromocresol green involves a loss of a proton resulting in the transfer of
electrons, creating a resonance stabilized structure. The exact reason why
the chemical change results in a color change requires further research.
11:13 – 11:25 John Rieth
The Synthesis, Physical Properties, and Uses of
Thymol
The use of antiseptics and antifungal agents has greatly contributed to the
increase of human life expectancy. One chemical that that is both an
antiseptic and antifungal agent is thymol, an organic compound which
can be isolated from the plant Thymus vulgaris or manufactured
synthetically. Thymol has unique physical properties and several uses.
The ways by which thymol can be synthesized, identified, and used were
found in the literature. Thymol can be synthesized by conducting a
hydrogenation reaction with Phenol, 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethenyl)-. This
chemical can then be identified by its physical properties. This chemical
has many chemical uses, especially as a fungicide. Thymol can easily be
synthesized and can be used as an antifungal agent in many
circumstances.
11:26 – 11:38 Kelsey Fink
Resveratrol: Synthesis and Characterization of a
Chemopreventive Agent
In 2011, about 571,950 people in America alone are expected to die of
cancer. However, resveratrol, found in the skin of red grapes, has been
found to prevent cancer and reduce the size of tumors. The general topic
of this presentation is to display general information regarding resveratrol
such as the synthesis, characterization, and effects it has in preventing
cancer. I have reviewed articles found through the Notre Dame library,
online journals, and the Internet to learn about the mechanism and
characteristics of resveratrol. Resveratrol has been shown to be an
effective agent in the cancer prevention. Therefore, further research
should be done to give more information on how this works. Also,
investigations should be done about how to include resveratrol in our
daily diet.
1 November 2011
12:30 – 12:42 Marcel Frenkel
Poison Ivy's Poison
Poison Ivy is a common roadside plant. Urushiol is the resin from poison
ivy that can cause dermatitis. This presentation explores the role of
Urushiol in dermatitis as well as its chemical properties and synthesis. To
acquire information for this presentation primary, secondary and tertiary
resources were used. Urushiol, causes dermatitis by interacting with
langerhans’ cells that then recruit T-cells causing pathology. Urushiol is a
yellow liquid, with a boiling point of 176 O C, it is composed of many
pyrocatechol that can have saturated or unsaturated side chains of 15
carbons. They are synthesized from catechol, the side chains are then
extended by an enzyme called chalcone synthases. Understanding the
effects of Urushiol might allow for the development of a hyposensitivity
agent.
12:43 – 12:55 KC Conley
Folic Acid and Modern Medicine
Alzheimer’s and Dementia are two illnesses that face many people
directly or indirectly. Folic acid helps to produce red blood cells and
treat/prevent many diseases including memory loss. I am finding its
synthesis, chemical properties, discovering how it replaces needed
vitamins and the role it plays in fighting memory loss. To find this, I will
be search secondary sources including SciFinder, Reaxys and Web of
Science. I found that folic acid replaces vitamin B, which is vital in
memory and brain function, how, why it is needed. Due to folic acid
being so vital in the retention of memory, future studies could focus on
how the addition of more folic acid in a young person’s life would affect
their memory loss in the future.
8 November 2011
11:00 – 11:12 Emily Siebert
Pyridoxal Phosphate: The Active Form of Vitamin
B6
Heart disease has become a huge problem in the United States and has
been linked to vitamin deficiencies. Pyridoxal phosphate is the active
form of Vitamin B6 and known for its function as a coenzyme in the
metabolism of the human body. This presentation will look into the
characterization (physical properties and spectra), synthesis, and role of
pyridoxal phosphate in the human body to understand its function. I
approached this by reading the scientific literature regarding the
compound. Pyridoxal phosphate is a complex molecule that is
synthesized from pyridoxal and the enzyme pyridoxal kinase and holds
an important role as a coenzyme in metabolic reactions. The next step is
to consider how much people need to consume of pyridoxal phosphate to
prevent a deficiency.
11:13 – 11:25 Andrea Rosado
Synthesis of Uric Acid and the Reducing Effects of
Allopurinol
Americans are often afflicted with medical conditions such as gout and
kidney stones, as well as more prevalent conditions including diabetes,
cardiovascular diseases, and multiple sclerosis. All of these conditions
involve an abnormality in uric acid levels in the blood stream. For
example, in gout, excess uric acid in the blood accumulates and
precipitates in joints and capillaries. If the compound crystallizes in the
kidneys, uric acid stone formation may occur. Through research, I wish to
understand both the synthetic reactions and metabolic pathways that lead
to the synthesis of this important compound, as well as the chemistry
behind medical treatments with serum abnormalities. It is an aromatic
acid that does not protonate like carboxylic acids or most other organic
acids. Instead of undergoing deprotonation at a carbon-hydrogen site, it
is deprotonated at nitrogen sites. Synthesis of uric acid can follow various
pathways, some of the more interesting paths including bovine spleen
extract and oxygen. The acid is the final product in the metabolism of
purine, a compound that is generally found in animal meats. A drug
called allopurinol is used to treat gout, high levels of uric acid in the body,
and kidney stones. It works to reduce uric acid levels by inhibiting
xanthine oxidase, an enzyme involved in the production of uric acid. Uric
acid has a unique and complicated role in human life. It is essential to
survival, metabolism, and excretion, yet if something goes wrong in these
processes then uric acid becomes quite problematic.
11:26 – 11:38 Kevin Kho
Sunscreen may be Carcinogenic
Some sunscreens have been thought to cause cancer. One of the culprits of
the carcinogenic sunscreen is a compound known as oxybenzone.
Oxybenzone is often found in sunscreens because of its ability to absorb
UVB and UVA rays. However, there have been some studies that show
that this compound may actually be harmful in large enough doses.
Oxybenzone could be absorbed by the skin in large enough quantities and
act as a photocarcinogen. By studying the synthesis and the characteristics
of this molecule through text and internet sources we may be able to find
out how it reflects the UV rays as well as affect the body in a harmful way.
8 November 2011
12:30 – 12:42 Maureen Martin
Peppers, especially black peppers, are very nutritional. This is because
they contain piperine. Piperine is a bioavailability enhancer. It increases
the gastrointestinal absorption of various nutrients. I will discover how
piperine is extracted from peppers and how the compound is
characterized in addition to the chemistry behind piperine’s health
benefits. I will learn about piperine by reviewing the literature that has
been compiled about the compound including spectra and reaction
mechanisms. In its pure form, piperine is a pale yellow powder. It is
separated from the rest of the pepper oils by alcohol and then isolated
through precipitation and distillation. It can also be formed synthetically.
Piperine’s bioavailability enhancing effect also increases the amounts of
medications absorbed by the body, making the effects of the medication
last longer.
12:43 – 12:55 Mimi Huang
Taxol: The Synthesis, Characterization, and
Properties of an Anticancer Workhorse
Various methods have been studied to cure cancer, a disease that takes
millions of lives each year. Often administered during chemotherapy,
taxol has been shown to be a highly effective antitumor agent. In
discussing the properties, characteristics, and synthesis of taxol using
journal articles, papers, and online database sources, we can begin to
explain why it is effective as an anticancer drug. Being a complex
molecule, taxol has been synthesized organically but with limited yield.
Taxol can be extracted from Pacific yew or synthesized using
microorganisms. It affects the growth rate of cell structure components,
inhibiting tumor cells from reproducing. Though its specific interaction
with the cell is not completely understood, it can be concluded that taxol
is a compound of interest in pharmaceutical research.
12:56 – 1:08
Justin Hintz
Capsaicin: Beyond your taste buds
Well known as the irritant found in chili peppers, there must be many
other uses for this potent compound. Capsaicin is being studied and
experimented with concerning nerve-related biological issues. The
synthesis of capsaicin can be boiled down to a two-reactant process
involving vanilylamine and an acylic substance in diethyl ether. It is
colorless and odorless, and causes a burning sensation when coming into
contact with skin. By using a variety of resources including web searches,
journal entries, and online databases, several unique utilizations and
characterizations of capsaicin have been found. Capsaicin has multiple
medicinal uses, can abate appetite, and can be used as an active irritant. It
has an acute ability to stimulate neuron activity. Chemically, this is most
likely linked to its low pH and acidic characteristics.
15 November 2011
11:00 – 11:12 Hoang Ho-Pham
Tyramine activity in migraines
About 29.5 million Americans suffer from migraines triggered from
factors such as stress or diet. Cheese can cause migraines from its
tyramine concentrations or the “cheese affect”. Tyramine is an amine
found in a variety of food. It is synthesized from tyrosine by tyrosine
decarboxylase and characterized by NMR, IR, UV/VIS and MS. This
project evaluates the relation between tyramine and migraines through
searching the literature such as journal articles and books. Intake of
tyramine along with monoamine oxidase inhibitors causes a drug-food
interaction. With MAO inhibited, tyramine is absorbed and
neurotransmitters are released into the synapse, leading to migraines. The
project demonstrated that tyramine in cheese is associated to migraines.
11:13 – 11:25 Elizabeth Nuter
Nearly one in ten adults display some degree of depression, according to
the CDC. Ketamine is a pharmaceutical drug that has been around since
the 1960’s, but it’s anti-depressant effects are just beginning to be utilized.
Ketamine is different from other anti-depressant drugs because it works in
as little as a few hours as compared to months. This presentation will
explore the physical properties and spectra, synthesis, and its
antidepressant effects. It is synthesized only in the laboratory, using a
process that includes a Grignard. The anti-depressant effects are just
beginning to be tapped into, and are still in the early stages but appear to
be very promising.
11:26 – 11:38 Kevin Nguyen
Soap and Water Kill More than Germs
Antibacterial agents are used in many everyday chemicals, including
deodorants, shaving creams, soaps and toothpastes. One common
antibacterial agent is triclosan, which is used in household chemicals and
plastics. However, triclosan may also form dangerous byproducts.
Triclosan may generate dioxins or react with chlorinated tap water to
generate chloroform, a carcinogen. The literature will be searched in
order to find out what byproducts triclosan forms and whether or not they
are harmful. It has been found that triclosan does form compounds that
have been shown to be toxic to life. Thus, this shows that even a
compound that is not dangerous on its own can be harmful due to its
byproducts. This implies that there may be other common chemicals that
have harmful effects. Lastly, the results show that people must be
prudent in choosing what chemicals to use to ensure that it is safe.
11:39 – 11:51 Mary Clare Houlihan
The Role of Riboflavin in Cellular Respiration
The micronutrient riboflavin is essential for cellular respiration in the
human body. Through its role as a component of flavocoenzymes,
riboflavin plays a major role in the electron transport chain of cellular
respiration. It is used in oxidation-reduction reactions in the cell in order
to synthesize electron carriers essential to oxidative phosphorylation.
Studies from journal articles have shown that this essential molecule is
biosynthesized through enzymatic reactions from the substrates GTP and
two molecules of ribulose-5-phosphate. Though riboflavin deficiencies or
problems with riboflavin biosynthesis are uncommon, a lack of this
molecule would impede the primary energy producing step of cellular
respiration causing growth failure or weakened metabolism. Further
studies of the importance of riboflavin in cellular respiration could help
with the understanding of metabolic diseases.
22 November 2011
11:00 – 11:12 Cam Houk
Theophylline: Friend or Foe?
Asthma as well as other respiratory diseases, plagues numerous
Americans, both young and old. With numerous pathways of synthesis
ranging from the expensive to the most efficient, this compound seems to
be ideal for the treatment of these detrimental diseases. However, the
unstable physical properties of un-isolated theophylline have been
inferred to cause a multitude of very harmful side effects. The bicyclic,
conjugated interfaces and quickly rotating bonds play a key role.
Consulting literature and clinical trials, research has indicated that
harmful side effects are significant due to the compounds diastereomeric
pair, caffeine; but indication on the label prevents pending lawsuits
derived from harmful by-products of theophylline reactivity in the body!
So, how can we isolate one form of the epimeric pair to maximize
efficiency?