Research in Action
Dr. Ferrence in his research laboratory.
Scanning Electrochemical Microscope (SECM) image of an AFM calibration grating with groove spacing of 3 µm (J. Baur)
Research
Faculty Research Interests
The faculty at Illinois State University maintain active, externally-funded research programs that span traditional sub-disciplines of chemistry:
- Analytical Chemistry,
- Biochemistry,
- Chemical Education,
- Inorganic Chemistry,
- Organic Chemistry, and
- Physical Chemistry.
Many of our faculty members have active interdisciplinary collaborations with faculty members outside of the Department.
Undergraduate Research
The Chemistry Department is strongly committed to undergraduate education through undergraduate research. About 80% of the department's majors participate in undergraduate research, and many of these students present the results of their research at Undergraduate Research Symposia at the the department and university levels. Several students also present their research at national and regional scientific meetings and have co-authored articles in scientific journals.
Following is a sample of articles recently published with undergraduate co-authors, and a list of presentations by undergraduate students at national, regional, and local meetings.
Presentations
M. Wirtz, “Leishmaniasis in Humans,” Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia, November 2007
D. L. Cedeño, M. A. Jones, and M. Wirtz, “Illinois State University visits Universidad de Caldas, Colombia – Coffee, Mountains and (of course) Chemistry”, ACS Illinois Heartland section, Illinois Central College, East Peoria, IL February 20, 2008
D. Gardner and D. L. Cedeño, “Novel Acenaphthoporphyrins: Photophysical Properties and Association with Lipid Vesicles”, Argonne Symposium for Undergraduates in Sciences, Engineering and Mathematics, Argonne, IL, November 2-3, 2007.
V. R. Yant and T. D. Lash, “Improved synthesis of meso-tetrarylbenziporphyrins,” 233rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Chicago, IL, March 2007, CHED 585.
M. A. Geiger, C. M. Cillo and T. D. Lash, “Synthesis of porphyrins with fused bisthiadiazolobenzo units,” 233rd ACS National Meeting, Chicago, IL, March 2007, CHED 622.
A. M. Young and T. D. Lash, “Synthesis of new carbaporphyrin ketals,” 233rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Chicago, IL, March 2007, CHED 725.
B. E. Smith and T. D. Lash, “Synthesis of novel porphyrin ethers,” 233rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Chicago, IL, March 2007, CHED 726.
S. A. Jones and T. D. Lash, “Tetraphenyldideazaporphyrin, a novel hybrid of the porphyrins and [18]annulene,” 233rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Chicago, IL, March 2007, CHED 737.
P. Gorczynski and J. M. Standard, "A density functional theory study of the gas and condensed phase behavior of donor-acceptor complexes of sulfur dioxide," 233rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Chicago, IL, March 2007, CHED 1358.
M. C. Cafarelli and J. M. Standard, "Ab initio investigation of the interaction of sulfur trioxide with hydrogen halides," 233rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Chicago, IL, March 2007, CHED 1361.
R. D. Quinn and J. M. Standard, "Computational studies of the interaction between ethers and singlet carbenes in the gas phase and in solution," 233rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Chicago, IL, March 2007, CHED 1376.
B. M. Bennett and D. L. Cedeño, “Emission spectroscopy of tetraacenaphthoporphyrins,” 233rd ACS National Meeting, Chicago, IL, March 2007, CHED 1401.
Publications
R. W. Parrott II, D. D. Dore, S. P. Chandrashekar, J. T. Bentley, B. S. Morgan, and S. R. Hitchcock, "Enantioselective diethylzinc addition to aldehydes via chiral, non-racemic β-hydroxysalicylhydrazone catalysts," Tetrahedron: Asymmetry 2008, 19, 607-611.
J. Morgenthaler, R. Barto, T. D. Lash, and M. A. Jones, "Use of Di- and Tripropionate substrate analogs to probe the active site of human recombinant coproporphyrinogen oxidase," Medical Science Monitor, 2008, 14:BR1-7.
J. M. Standard, B. A. Copack, T. K. Johnson, D. E. Przybyla, S. R. Graham, and R. J. Steidl, "An ab initio and density functional theory study of the structure and bonding of sulfur ylides," Journal of Physical Chemistry A 2008, 112, 336-341.
T. D. Lash, D. A. Colby, A. S. Idate and R. N. Davis, “Fulvene dialdehyde strategy for adj-dicarbaporphyrinoid synthesis: preparation of a 22-carbaazuliporphyrin”, Journal of the American Chemical Society 2007, 129 (45), 13801-13802.
S. Gitter, C.L. Cooper, J.A. Friesen T.D. Lash, and M.A. Jones, "Investigation of the Catalytic and Structural Roles of Conserved Histidines of Human Coproporphyrinogen Oxidase Using Site-directed Mutagenesis," The Medical Science Monitor 2007, 13:BR1-10.
T. D. Lash, J. T. Szymanski and G. M. Ferrence, “Tetraaryldimethoxybenziporphyrins. At the edge of carbaporphyrinoid aromaticity”, Journal of Organic Chemistry 2007, 72 (17), 6481-6492.
T. D. Lash, K. Pokharel, J. M. Serling, V. R. Yant and G. M. Ferrence, “Aromatic and nonaromatic pyriporphyrins”, Organic Letters 2007, 9 (15), 2863-2866.
J. R. Stephenson, J. A. Stacey, J. B. Morgenthaler, J. A. Friesen, T. D. Lash and M. A. Jones, “Role of aspartate 300, arginine 162 and arginine 301 in the catalytic mechanism of coproporphyrinogen oxidase”, Protein Science 2007, 16 (3), 401-410.
B. N. Ida, P. S. Fudacz, D. H. Pulsifer, and J. M. Standard, "A gas and condensed phase density functional study of donor-acceptor complexes of sulfur trioxide," Journal of Physical Chemistry A 2006, 110, 5831-5838.