VCU news

By Tom Gresham

Dozens of Virginia Commonwealth University researchers were among the thousands to present their work recently at the 2005 American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition in Washington, D.C.

VCU chemistry faculty and students had a robust presence at the event, which began Aug. 28 and concluded Sept. 1. More than 12,000 researchers from across the United States presented new multidisciplinary research and highlighted important advances in biotechnology, nanoscience, nanotechnology and defense and homeland security. VCU representatives presented 49 papers during the week.

Presenting from VCU:

• Everett E. Carpenter, Ph.D., “Iron Nanoparticles for Magnetodynamic Therapy.” (Melissa Michaels, Michael Schultz, Farah Radwan, Shannon Morrison)

• Everett E. Carpenter, Ph.D., “Nanocrystalline MFeOx (M = Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn) Aerogels and the Importance of TEM for Characterization.”

• Everett E. Carpenter, Ph.D., “Quantitative Nanoparticle Size Prediction from Reverse Micelle Analysis.” (Melissa Michaels, Sarah C. Rutan, Ph.D.)

• Darius Kuciauskas, Ph.D., “Charge Transfer Effects on Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties of Metalloporphyrin Films.”

• Chris Wohl, “Ultrafast Pump-Probe Spectroscopic Study of Spiropyran Embedded in Phospholipids Membranes and Spiropyran-Derived Merocyanine Isomers in Solution.” (Darius Kuciauskas, Ph.D.) Wohl’s presentation was selected as one of the two best out of 150 during the physical chemistry session.

• Jonathan Humphrey, “Linear and Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties of Conjugated Diazobenzene Oligomers.” (Darius Kuciauskas, Ph.D.)

• Dennis F. Thekkudan, “Chemometric Analysis of Opioid Glucuronidation.” (Sarah C. Rutan, Ph.D., Raymundo Sanchez-Ponce, Sarah E. Graham-Porter, Shom N. Paul)

• Shom N. Paul, “Application of Energy Resolved Mass Spectrometry and Multivariate Data Analysis for Selective Determination of Drugs and their Metabolites.” (Sarah C. Rutan, Ph.D., Sarah E. Graham-Porter, Dennis F. Thekkudan)

• Richard B. Keithley, “Characterization of Potential Drug Interactions between Dextromethorphan, Fluoxetine, and PMMA.” (Sarah C. Rutan, Ph.D., Sarah E. Graham-Porter)

• Sarah E. Graham-Porter, “Data Handling in 2D-LC: Applications to Maize Metabolomics.” (Sarah C. Rutan, Ph.D., Dwight R. Stoll, Jerry D. Cohen, Peter W. Carr)

• Nicholas P. Farrell, Ph.D., “Effects of Steric Hindrance on Trans-Platinum Compounds Featuring Planar Amines.” (Kenneth M. Knott, Eugenio Alvarado, Genevieve Bulluss, Sheena Aris)

• Nicholas P. Farrell, Ph.D., “Platinum Cancer Agents: Structures and Targeted Biomolecules in the Inorganic Complexes as Potential Chemotherapy Agents.”

• Sally S. Hunnicutt, Ph.D., “Beyond General and Organic Chemistry: Using POGIL in Advanced Chemistry Courses.”

• Lindsay C. Fuoco, “The Effects of Cyclodextrin on the Thermal Cis to Trans Isomerization of Azobenzenes.” (Sally S. Hunnicutt, Ph.D.)

• M. Samy El-Shall, Ph.D., “Structures and Reactivity of Cluster and Oligomer Ions in the Gas Phase.” (Edreese Alsharaeh, Yehia M. Ibrahim, Ph.D.)

• Ridha M. Mabrouki, “Hydrophobic Hydration and Solvation of Aromatic Ions in the Gas Phase.” (M. Samy El-Shall, Ph.D., Enlie Xie)

• Victor M. Abdelsayed, “Condensation of Supersaturated Vapors on Charged Nanoparticles.” (M. Samy El-Shall, Ph.D.)

• Victor M. Abdelsayed, “Polymerization of Styrene Vapor on Activated Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles.” (M. Samy El-Shall, Ph.D.)

• Gary P. Glaspell II, “Synthesis and Characterization of Gold Nanoparticles Alloyed with Ferromagnetic Transition Metals.” (M. Samy El-Shall, Ph.D., Kylee Sollien, Lindsay Fuoco)

• Gary P. Glaspell II, “Synthesis of Mg, Pd and Pt Nanowires for Hydrogen Storage Applications.” (M. Samy El-Shall, Ph.D.)

• Puru Jena, Ph.D., “Metallization of Covalently Bonded Clusters.”

• Suzanne M. Ruder, Ph.D., “Utilizing Classroom Polling Devices to Assist Facilitation of POGIL Activities in Large Classes.”

• Suzanne M. Ruder, Ph.D., “Synthesizing Novel Supports for Immunosensor Applications.” (Wraegen A. Mealy)

• Suzanne M. Ruder, Ph.D., “Biphenylacetylene-based Liquid-Crystalline Materials for the Covalent Immobilization of Antibodies onto Gold Electrodes: The Development of Novel Immunosensors.” (Dwight A. Williams)

• Qibing Zhou, Ph.D., “Synthesis of a Cooperative DNA Alkylating Agent.” (Jifeng Dai)

• Vladimir Sidorov, Ph.D., “Active Transport System Using Calix[4]arene Dimers.” (Christine A. Winschel)

• Vladimir Sidorov, Ph.D., “Reactors for Water-Soluble Polymers.” (Olufemi Oyesanya, Sr.)

• Vladimir Sidorov, Ph.D., “Active Transport of Fluorescent pH-sensitive Dye Pyranine Across Bilayer Membranes.” (Amar Kalidindi)

• Vladimir Sidorov, Ph.D., “Binaphthyl Derivatives as Ditoptic Receptors for Amino Acids.” (Ibrahim Hamdi Zgani)

• Vladimir Sidorov, Ph.D., “Highly-selective Receptor for Pyranine: Application for the New Membrane-Leakage Assay.” (Christine W. Winschel, Amar Kalidindi)

• Vladimir Sidorov, Ph.D., “Bis(ammonium Carboxylate) Binaphthyl Derivatives as Ditopic Receptors for Amino Acids.” (Luke W. Arbogast, Ibrahim Hamdi Zgani)