"Catalyst Development for Energy Conservation and Environment Protection"

This project focuses on the development of the radio frequency (RF) plasma technique to improve the activity and stability of palladium catalysts. By using this method, we are better able to control metal dispersions and the metal-support interactions. The goal is to demonstrate the unique capability of RF plasma technique to improve the efficiency of various industrial catalytic processes.

"Techniques for Biosynthesis of Natural Products"

Isoflavones are a class of natural products for which there is current research interest due to their demonstrated health benefits. My research project presents an opportunity for students to gain expertise in a broad range of techniques that relate to the isolation, structural characterization, activity determination and biosynthesis of natural products. Many molecular biology laboratory techniques are employed.

"X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy for Surface Characterization"

Surface Science Research Laboratory presents an opportunity to students to gain expertise in vacuum technology, thin film deposition and characterization using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and appearance potential spectroscopy, and low temperature electrical resistivity measurements. Students gain experience in acquiring and analyzing data and presenting results in conferences/meetings .

"Design and Synthesis of Ionic Liquid Solvents for Organic Reactions"

The use of ionic liquids as solvents for a variety of chemical processes is one of the most significant developments in chemical and material sciences. Ionic liquids are thermally stable over a wide temperature range, have no detectable vapor pressure, incombustible and most are unaffected by moisture. Due to this combination of properties, ionic liquids are candidates for use as recyclable solvents in "green" chemistry. Results from preliminary experiments show that ionic liquids can be used to influence the outcomes of various types of reactions. Asymmetric synthesis is widely used in organic, medicinal and biological chemistry; and presently, ionic liquids are not used widely as solvents for these reactions. In this project, students will synthesize and purify a series of ionic liquids using established procedures. The ionic liquids synthesized in this project will be used as solvents for the Aldol condensation reaction. The information gained from this project will provide fundamental insights into how ionic liquids influence the outcome of different reactions.

"Design and Synthesis of  Porphyrin-based Anion Receptors"

My research is focused on the design and synthesis of artificial receptors and sensors for anions and molecules of biomedical and environmental significance. Examples of anions that will be targeted include phosphates, sulfates, halides, amino acids, nitrite, nitrate and perrhenate (a non-radioactive model anion for the radioactive pertechnetate). The development of sensors for these analytes has diagnostic applications in the monitoring of cellular processes and in environmental remediation efforts. The research is multidisciplinary working at the interface between organic, analytical, and separation chemistry. As a result, research associates receive broad training in synthetic organic chemistry, spectroscopy (NMR, Uv/vis, fluorescence, IR and CD), and computer modeling. Research associates will synthesize, purify and characterize the anion receptors. Research associates will then evaluate each receptors anion recognition properties.

"Enhancement and Features Extraction from Surface Images"

Image Processing and Analysis is a powerful methodology with a broad set of applications in Chemistry. Digital imaging allows the expert to study and investigate in a better way the subjects of his interest. The present project aims to create a background to make students capable of developing efficient algorithms to enhance the quality of images obtained by different modalities used in Chemistry and Physics, such as Scanning Electron microscopy and nano images. Tools capable of noise decreasing and sharpening are to be employed for this purpose. Low and high level features’ extraction approaches will be studied, in order to determine structural characteristics of a variety of chemical processes or elements. Chemical Image Database indexing and management, as well as their application to track the rate of change of objects’ features will be considered. The students will gain experience in working with existing tools in the field.

"Metal Complexes as Artificial Peptidases"

Selective cleavage of peptides and proteins is an essential procedure in biochemistry and biotechnology, particularly in protein sequencing, footprinting of protein-DNA interactions, protein semisynthesis, and isolation of fusion proteins.

We have discovered and are developing simple complexes of palladium and platinum as artificial peptidases that bind to peptides and proteins and promote selective, relatively fast, hydrolytic cleavage of the backbone. We have clarified the hydrolytic mechanisms and explained the remarkable selectivity of our new reagents. Our research involves synthesis and characterization of metal complexes and peptides, separation methods, reaction kinetics, and several other techniques. Summer interns will have their own projects and help from Professor Kostic, graduate students, and other experienced researchers.

"Antibody Coupling on a Glass Surface"

Antibodies are proteins made by the immune system which are able to specifically recognize particular target molecules, or antigens. These antigens can be found on any particular protein, including surface proteins of bacteria. We would like to be able to capture specific types of bacteria on a defined spot on a glass slide as a method for rapidly identifying and quantifying the type(s) of bacteria present in a sample. We will couple the antibody to the glass surface using a silicate-binding compound with a free primary amine. The antibody will be modified to change some of the amino groups on the surface of the antibody into sulfonyl (-SH) groups, and then the two species will be bonded using a bi-functional crosslinking reagent that binds free amines to sulfonyl groups. This particular chemistry is gaining wide use in molecular diagnostics for medical, agricultural, and environmental research projects.