The Department congratulates Dr. Arun Gupta who has been named a 2017 Materials Research Society (MRS) Fellow.  The title of MRS Fellow honors those MRS members who are notable for their distinguished research accomplishments and their outstanding contributions to the advancement of materials research, world-wide.  Dr. Gupta was recognized “for pioneering research on the growth, properties and applications of heteroepitaxial thin films and nanostructures of magnetic and superconducting oxides.”  The award will be presented in April at the MRS Spring Meeting and Exhibit in Phoenix.

Dr. David Dixon has received a grant for 100 million hours of supercomputer time through the Department of Energy INCITE program.  The project is entitled, “Reliable Predictions of Actinide Chemistry at Different Scales.”

Prof. David A. Dixon gave the 5th Annual Burris Cunningham Actinide Science Seminar at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on Nov. 2, 2016. The title of the seminar was “Computational Studies of Actinide Hydrolysis and High Oxidation States.”

Dr. Marco Bonizzoni was selected for inclusion in the Emerging Investigators 2016 special issue highlighting rising stars of materials chemistry research by the Journal of Materials Chemistry B. Emerging Investigators 2016 gathers the very best work from materials chemists in the early stages of their independent career, with a special focus on novel design strategies for new functional materials. Each contributor was recommended by the journal’s prestigious Editorial Board as carrying out work with the potential to influence future directions in materials chemistry. Dr. Bonizzoni’s article in the issue is entitled, “Boronic acid-modified poly(amidoamine) dendrimers as sugar-sensing materials in water.”

Chemistry graduate students received three of the six presentation awards at the Lester Andrews Graduate Research Symposium hosted by Mississippi State University.  Award recipients were:

• 1st place oral presentation:  Kerry Barnett, advisor Dr. Shaughnessy
• 3rd place oral presentation:  Michael Ihde, advisor Dr. Bonizzoni
• 3rd place poster presentation:  Jennifer Shankwitz, advisor Dr. Szulczewski

Prof. Patrick Frantom has been selected as one of the participants in the SEC Faculty Travel Program for the 2015-2016 academic year.  Prof. Frantom will travel to the University of South Carolina to present a seminar on his research.  He will also lead a symposium on hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) mass spectrometry for the faculty and students in the USC Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Collaborative research from Prof. Anthony Arduengo and Prof. Til Opatz (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz) on the synthesis of complex organic products in which all of the product carbons are derived from wood-based materials (xylochemicals).  The synthesis of ilicifoline was reported in Angewandte Chemie and was highlighted with the cover art work. The work has recently been highlighted by phys.org and Azocleantech.  Prof. Arduengo and Prof. Opatz’s research seeks to use renewable chemicals derived from wood products in place of chemicals derived from petroleum products. “Wood, a renewable resource that’s easily accessible, offers the opportunity to directly harvest a wide range of building blocks with diverse chemistries and structures that can then be used to build materials for the modern world,” according to Prof. Arduengo. “Just imagine a modern ‘oil boom’ or ‘gusher age’ that is not based on oil and petrochemicals, but rather the renewal resource of wood – a ‘Xylochemical’ revolution or boom.  Alabama, with its extensive well-managed forests, is center stage for this new technological and economic boom.”

UA News story

The Chemistry Graduate Students Organization invites submission of poster abstracts for the Chemistry Poster Session and Vendor Show on Thursday, September 10th from 10 AM – 2 PM.  Abstract submissions from graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged.

Call for Poster Abstracts

The following students performing undergraduate research with chemistry faculty were recognized with Randall Outstanding Undergraduate Research Awards for their work.

Yuliya Birman: “Investigation of Charged Residues in the Active Site of Isopropylmalate Synthase in Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.” Mentor: Dr. Patrick Frantom

Kyle Glisson: “Calorimetric investigation of the interaction of hyperbranched polyelectrolytes with small organic molecules in water.” Mentor: Dr. Marco Bonizzoni

Sean Miller: “Gas-Phase Acidities of Phosphorylated Amino Acids and Their Corresponding Amides.” Mentor: Dr. David Dixon

Meredith Rickard: “From Waste to Fuels and Feedstocks: Reduction of CO2 Using Main-Group Catalysts.” Mentor: Dr. David Dixon

Erin Nicole West: “Characterization of active site variants of isopropylmalate synthase.” Mentor: Dr. Patrick A. Frantom

Shuwen Yue: “Computational Studies of Catalytic Processes for Conversion of Biofuels and Controlling Organic Reactivity.” Mentor: Dr. David Dixon

Congratulations to the Chemistry Department students who received awards at the UA Undergraduate Research Conference

• A&S Science and Math Division, Oral Presentations
  • Shuwen Yue (Dr. Dixon): 2nd place; Theoretical Study of Ligand Steric Effects in Homogeneous Catalysis
  • Ryan Hacherl (Dr. Cassady): 4th place; Mass Spectrometry of Biological Peptides
  • Sean Miller (Dr. Dixon): Honorable Mention; Computational Studies of Phosphorylated Amino Acids and Corresponding Amides
• A&S Science and Math Division, Poster Presentations
  • Kindle Williams (Dr. Woski): 3rd place; Synthesis of Molecular Electronic Components for Self‐Assembly onto Metal Electrodes
  • Lynda Truong (Dr. Woski): Honorable Mention: Investigation of Cyanocarbazole Derivatives as Universal Base Candidates