Renovation of Chemistry Research Laboratories at the University of Missouri - St. Louis

密苏里大学圣路易斯分校和美国国家科学基金会将共同资助29岁的本顿大厅的化学研究实验室空间的翻新。 翻修工作的主要目标将是安装更多的通风柜和更换已损坏的橱柜工作台空间。 本顿大厅是在圣路易斯校园建造的第一座建筑物，于1966年开放，用于多种用途：教室，实验室，教师办公室和图书馆。 随着最近完成的研究翼除了建设，化学已经能够获得更多的研究空间，但五个原来的实验室在本顿大厅没有经历任何改造。 这些空间将由3名教师和20名其他人使用，包括博士后研究员和研究生和本科生。 所有人都在追求三个主要研究项目之一：过渡金属有机金属化学，有机金属研究，重点是结构化学，计算和聚合物化学。 一些研究涉及聚合物和生物活性分子的计算机辅助设计和合成，包括弹道和激光硬化聚合物的设计和优化;以及所谓的天然抗冻蛋白和除冰剂和抗冰剂的仿生合成类似物的合成和表征。 升级本顿大厅的空间将几乎完成大学1985年的目标和随后的努力，以提高化学研究的机会。 在那一年，大学馆长委员会确定了密苏里州系统中的几个项目作为未来的隆起中心。 总共有八个项目被选中，化学系在密歇根大学圣路易斯分校是唯一一个选择在该校园，以及唯一的化学项目选择在系统内。 NSF支持的翻修将提供额外的安全通风柜空间，并更换腐蚀的橱柜。 其结果将是一个环境中，化学品可以安全使用。 它还将提供追求催化化学的机会，补充目前仅限于化学计量的工作。 物理上的改善预计将增加在有机金属化学领域工作的学生研究人员的数量（其中30%是女性，10%是少数民族）。

The University of Missouri-St. Louis and NSF will jointly fund the renovation of chemistry research laboratory space in 29-year old Benton Hall. The primary objectives of the renovation effort will be the installation of additional fume hoods and the replacement of deteriorated cabinet bench space. Benton Hall was the first building constructed on the St. Louis campus when it was opened in 1966 and served a number of purposes: classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, and the library. With the recent completion of a research wing addition to the building, chemistry has been able to gain more research space, but five of the original labs in Benton Hall have not undergone any remodeling. The spaces will be used by 3 faculty and a total of 20 others including post doctoral fellows and graduate and undergraduate students. All are pursuing one of three primary research programs: transition metal organometallic chemistry, organometallic research with an emphasis on structural chemistry, and computational and polymer chemistry. Some of the research involves computer assisted design and synthesis of polymer and bioactive molecules, including the design and optimization of ballistic- and laser- hardened polymers; and the synthesis and characterization of biomimetic synthetic analogs of the so-called natural antifreeze proteins and deicers and anti-icers. Upgrading the space in Benton Hall will almost complete the University's 1985 goal and subsequent efforts to improve research opportunities in chemistry. During that year, the University Board of Curators identified several programs in the Missouri system as future Centers of Eminence. A total of eight programs were selected, and the Department of Chemistry at UM-St. Louis was the only one selected on that campus, as well as the only chemistry program selected within the system. The NSF-supported renovations will provide additional, safe fume hood space as well as replace corroded cabinetry. The result will be an environment in which and chemicals can be used safely. It will also provide the opportunity for pursuit of catalytic chemistry, complementing current work which is confined to stoichiometric chemistry. The physical improvements are expected to increase the number of student researchers, (30% of whom are female and 10% of whom are minorities) working in organometallic chemistry.