Seminar: Leah Casabianca (Clemson University) - Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 @ 3:00 p.m.

Seminar: Leah Casabianca (Clemson University)

UWinChemBiochem Seminar Series - Winter 2018

Leah Casabianca
Department of Chemistry
Clemson University, Clemson, SC  
Title: “Characterization of Nanoparticle Surface Interactions Using Dissolution Dynamic Nuclear Polarization and Saturation-Transfer Difference NMR”
Web: https://chemistry.sites.clemson.edu/casabiancagroup/

Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 @ 3:00 p.m.
Room #186 Essex Hall

**Everyone Welcome**

Characterization of Nanoparticle Surface Interactions Using Dissolution Dynamic Nuclear Polarization and Saturation-Transfer Difference NMR

Leah B. Casabianca, Department of Chemistry, Clemson University

Nanotechnology is becoming increasingly prevalent in our everyday lives. Nanoparticles that are used as lubricants, in drug delivery, and as antibacterial agents are finding their way into the body and into the environment, where they interact with biological macromolecules such as proteins. Understanding the nature of the interactions between nanoparticles and adsorbed molecules is therefore increasingly relevant in fields such as drug delivery, nanoparticle catalysis, and nanoparticle toxicity. In this talk, I will discuss several recent studies in my lab that are aimed at developing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) techniques for studying noncovalent nanoparticle surface interactions.

NMR is an incredibly powerful characterization technique, capable of providing atomic-level structural as well as dynamic information. However, NMR is not ideally suited for surface studies due to the inherent low sensitivity of this technique. One way of improving the sensitivity of NMR is Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP). DNP relies on the transfer of polarization from a nearby unpaired electron to nuclei of interest in NMR. My group has recently¹ developed HighlY-effective Polymer/Radical Beads (HYPR-Beads), which are organic nanoparticles that have been doped with radicals for use as DNP polarization agents. Using HYPR-beads, we were able to hyperpolarize nuclei in small molecules that are located near the beads in an aqueous environment.

We are also using Saturation Transfer Difference (STD)-NMR Spectroscopy to identify small molecules that interact noncovalently with the surface of functionalized organic nanoparticles in solution.^2,3 STD-NMR was originally developed to identify small-molecule ligands that bind to a particular protein receptor. Since this technique does not require the receptor to be seen by solution-state NMR, there is no upper limit to the size of the receptor that can be studied. This makes the STD-NMR technique an ideal one to study small molecules adsorbed on the surface of nanoparticles. We have used STD-NMR to determine the binding constant between small molecules and solvent water on the surface of nanoparticles,² and to determine the binding epitopes of a fluorescent dye associating with the nanoparticle surface.³ This work has future applications in determining the structure of proteins adsorbed on the surface of nanoparticles, and in the development of dual-use imaging contrast agents.

References

[1] Y. Zhang, P. J. Baker, L. B. Casabianca, “BDPA-Doped Polystyrene Beads as Polarization Agents for DNP-NMR.” J. Phys. Chem. B 2016, 120, 18-24.

[2] Y. Zhang, H. Xu, A. M. Parsons, L. B. Casabianca, “Examining Binding to Nanoparticle Surfaces Using Saturation Transfer Difference (STD)-NMR Spectroscopy.” J. Phys. Chem. C 2017, 121, 24678-24686.

[3] Y. Zhang, H. Xu, L. B. Casabianca, “Interaction Between Cyanine Dye IR-783 and Polystyrene Nanoparticles in Solution.” submitted.

Bio: Dr. Casabianca received a B. S. degree in chemistry from Rice University in 2002 where she did undergraduate research with Prof. Seiichi P.T. Matsuda.  She completed her Ph. D. in the lab of Prof. Angel C. de Dios at Georgetown University in 2008.  Her thesis work involved using solution-state NMR and chemical shift calculations to understand the mechanism of action of anti-malarial drugs.  She then did a postdoctoral fellowship (2008-2010) with Prof. Yoshitaka Ishii at the University of Illinois at Chicago working on structural characterization of graphite oxide.  Her second postdoctoral fellowship was in the group of Prof. Lucio Frydman at the Weizmann Institute (2010-2013) where she worked on dynamic nuclear polarization of diamond samples.  She joined the faculty at Clemson University in 2014.

Seminar: Jeff Reimer (University of California at Berkeley) - Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 @ 3:00 p.m.

Seminar: Jeff Reimer (University of California at Berkeley)

UWinChemBiochem Seminar Series - Winter 2018

Jeff Reimer
Department of Chemistry
University of California at Berkeley 
Title: “Why, and How, I would like to Decarbonize our Air”
Web: https://chemistry.berkeley.edu/faculty/cbe/reimer

Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 @ 3:00 p.m.
Room #109 Essex Hall

**Everyone Welcome**
**Note the special room***

Seminar: Prof. Eric Munson, University of Kentucky - Monday, December 11, 2017 @ 3:00 p.m.

Seminar: Prof. Eric Munson, University of Kentucky

UWinChemBiochem Seminar Series - Fall 2017

Prof. Eric Munson
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
University of Kentucky
Title: “Solid-State NMR Studies of Crystalline and Amorphous Organic Solids: Applications to Pharmaceuticals”
Web: http://pharmacy.uky.edu/faculty/emu222/Eric-Munson

Monday, December 11, 2017 @ 3:00 p.m.
Room #186 Essex Hall

**Everyone Welcome**

Advanced NMR Workshop - June 21 and 22

Advanced NMR Workshop
Advanced Techniques, 2D NMR, and Introduction to Solid State NMR
Wednesday June 21 and Thursday June 22, 9am to noon each day

The workshop will briefly cover the physical theory behind the advanced NMR experiments but the focus will be on demonstrating the uses of these experiments and practical aspects of experimental set up.  The schedule will consist of a mixture of lectures and of hands-on sessions on the NMR spectrometers where participants will get the opportunity to set up experiments and collect data.

The topics covered include topics covered include:

• DOSY

• COSY
• NOESY/ROESY

• HMQC/HMBC

• Differences between solution and solid state NMR
• Solid State NMR sample preparation
• Magic-angle spinning – MAS  (tuning the angle with KBr)

• Cross-polarization (CP) MAS
• Basic 1H and 13C SSNMR experiments
• Pulse field gradients
• Shaped Pulses

• Selective 1D NOESY
• HOMODEC

• DEPTQ
• PSYCHE (broadband homonuclear decoupling)





This advanced workshop is available to undergraduate, graduate students and postdocs who have already taken the Introductory NMR Workshop or who have completed the third year Spectroscopic Structure Identification course (59-330/332) (or equivalent) and who have demonstrated sufficient competence to the NMR Facility Manager. No experience in solid state NMR is required.

Enrolment is free but numbers are limited.



Registration can be done using the link below or at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry-NMR Facility webpage

To register click here

For more information, contact: 
Matthew Revington
NMR Facility Manager,
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Windsor
519-253-3000 Ext 3997
http://scholar.google.ca/citations?hl=en&user=YWRVOsUAAAAJ 

Students claim prizes at chemistry conference

Students claim prizes at chemistry conference

Professor Stephen Loeb congratulates prize-winning chemistry students Mitchell DiPasquale and Jacqueline Gemus.

Two UWindsor students received honours at the Southern Ontario Undergraduate Chemistry Conference, March 18 at York University.

Jacqueline Gemus, a student in professor Rob Schurko’s research group, won first prize in physical chemistry.

Dr. Schurko says Gemus’ main area of interest is the mechanochemical synthesis of porous framework materials known as zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) and the use of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance to monitor the formation of these amazing framework materials.

“Jacqueline has made a wide array of new materials, and this work will be the first that describes ZIFs with mixed linker ligands which are simply made by vigorous grinding — a great example of ‘green chemistry,’ which uses no solvents and produces high yields of the final materials,” says Schurko.

Mitchell DiPasquale, a student from the laboratory of Bulent Mutus, head of chemistry and biochemistry, claimed second place in bio/medicinal chemistry.

Dr. Mutus calls DiPasquale an amazing undergraduate student who has excelled in protein chemistry research and has single-handedly explored the role of a repeating set of amino acids in the enzyme that produces sulfide in the human body.

“His research has, for the first time, shown that this amino acid motif plays a role in the regulation of sulfide production, as well as being responsible for a totally new previously undiscovered activity for this enzyme,” he says.

The University of Windsor was represented at the colloquium by a contingent of 14 undergraduate students from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. A total of 127 presentations by students represented every university in southern Ontario, plus Laurentian and Nipissing.

See the original story at:

http://www.uwindsor.ca/dailynews/2017-03-22/students-claim-prizes-chemistry-conference

WIN.CHEM volunteers work with local high school students

WIN.CHEM volunteers work with local high school students

Since 2014, our department has been running laboratory sessions and department tours for high school students from around Windsor and Essex County - this program is known as WIN.CHEM.  Students participate in interactive laboratories featuring work on cryogens, thermodynamics, chemical reactions and kinetics, combustion, and metals and alloys.  

Our graduate students and undergraduate volunteers make these outreach laboratories possible.  

If you are an undergraduate student in the Chemistry, Biochemistry or Chemistry & Physics programs, and are planning on taking the 59-410 Research and 59-400 Development of Leadership, Outreach and Presentation Skills courses, you can volunteer for this rewarding program.

If you are a high school student or teacher, please contact Prof. Jim Green (jgreen@uwindsor.ca) to arrange a visit to UWindsor to take part in our interactive WIN.CHEM laboratories.  For more information, click here!

Max Nascimento, '18, does some liquid nitrogen demonstrations for students from Villanova High School

Mitchell Dipasquale, '17, discusses miscibility with some students.

Lucas Foster,' 18, and Adan Ahmed, '17, demonstrate the dehydration of sugar with sulphuric acid.

Max Nascimento, '18, is not doing anything illegal here... he is just eating some graham crackers that have been dipped into liquid nitrogen.

Special thanks to all WIN.CHEM volunteers: Chris O'Keefe and David Hirsh (co-coordinators), Cameron Vojvodin, Natan Veinberg, Lucas Foster, Austin Peach, Jacqueline Gemus, Max Nascimento, Brent St Onge, Abbey Nicoletti, Jesse Ropat, Adan Ahmed, Mitchell Dipasquale, and Nadia Stephaniuk.

Special thanks to Chris O’Keefe, David Hirsh, and Stas Veinberg (Ph.D. 2016), who have been instrumental in organizing and running the WIN.CHEM sessions for the past three years.

Alumni Career Night highlights

Alumni Career Night was held on Fri. Dec. 2, 2016 at Mare Nostrum.  Two of our former grad students, Aaron Rossini (B.Sc. 2005, Ph.D. 2010), who is currently an assistant professor at Iowa State University, and his wife Erin Norton (M.Sc. 2008), who is the Education and Outreach Coordinator at the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute at Iowa State University, gave presentations on their career paths and life after UWindsor.

We hope you can join us for future alumni evenings!

Nobel prize in Supramolecular Chemistry - UWindsor contributions to this field cited by Nature

On Wednesday the Nobel for Chemistry was awarded to Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Fraser Stoddart and Ben Feringa, for making molecular machines.

https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2016/

The journal Nature has recently highlighted some of the important contributions to this field. http://www.nature.com/collections/mzxlcbfyzn/.

Interestingly one of the few not authored by the Nobel Winners is http://www.nature.com/nchem/journal/v7/n6/full/nchem.2258.html, an article from the from the labs of Stephen Loeb and Rob Schurko and their graduate students and postdocs Kelong Zhu, Christopher A. O'Keefe, and V. Nicholas Vukotic.

In honour of the Nobel Prize being awarded for the design and synthesis of molecular machines, Dr. Mutus hosted a breakfast party on Oct. 7, 2016 to celebrate this win for Supramolecular Chemistry.

Here is Dr. Loeb enjoying a pair of interlocked bagels!