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

密苏里大学圣路易斯市分校路易斯和美国国家科学基金会将共同资助29年历史的本顿大厅的化学研究实验室空间的翻新。翻新工作的主要目标将是安装额外的通风柜和更换老化的橱柜工作台空间。本顿厅是圣路易斯校区的第一座建筑，于1966年开放，有多种用途：教室、实验室、教师办公室和图书馆。随着最近建筑的研究翼的完成，化学已经能够获得更多的研究空间，但本顿大厅原有的五个实验室没有进行任何改造。这些空间将由3名教师和包括博士后、研究生和本科生在内的20名其他人员使用。所有人都在三个主要研究项目中选择一个：过渡金属有机金属化学、以结构化学为重点的有机金属研究，以及计算和聚合物化学。一些研究涉及计算机辅助设计和合成聚合物和生物活性分子，包括弹道硬化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，除冰剂和抗冻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，以改善化学研究机会。在那一年里，大学管理委员会确定了密苏里系统中的几个项目作为未来的卓越中心。共有8个项目入选。路易斯是那个校园里唯一一个被选中的人，也是系统内唯一一个被选中的化学项目。nsf支持的翻新将提供额外的、安全的通风柜空间，并取代腐蚀的橱柜。其结果将是一个可以安全使用化学药品的环境。它还将为催化化学的研究提供机会，补充目前仅限于化学计量化学的工作。物理上的改进预计将增加从事有机金属化学研究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.