CAREER: Studies of Pi-Pi Stacking Interactions in Small Molecules and Beta-Turn Peptides

凭借这一职业奖项，有机和高分子化学项目支持了北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校化学系Marcey Waters博士的工作。这项工作包括一系列研究，以更好地了解pi-pi堆积相互作用在DNA和蛋白质中的大分子识别中的作用。她将使用核磁共振线宽分析来测量双芳键周围的旋转速率常数，还将使用核磁共振NOESY测量来确定β-折叠形成的程度，并评估双链β-肽中的pi-pi堆积作用。这些系统将探索电子效应、溶剂、表面积和芳环中杂原子的作用。这项建议的研究和教学目标是通过物理有机化学研究，特别是使用核磁共振方法来了解生物结构和反应活性。生物系统和非生物有机分子之间的关系将在研究生和本科生水平上被强调，包括在二年级有机化学实验室中的实验。

With this CAREER award the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program supports the work of Dr. Marcey waters in the Department of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The work consists of a series of studies to better understand the role of pi-pi stacking interactions in macromolecular recognition in both DNA and proteins. She will measure the rate constants of rotation around biaryl bonds using NMR line-width analysis, and will also use NMR NOESY measurements to determine the extent of beta-sheet formation and assess pi-pi stacking interactions in a two stranded beta-peptide. These systems will probe the roles of electronic effects, solvent, surface area, and heteroatoms in the aromatic rings.The research and teaching goals of this proposal are to understand biological structure and reactivity through physical organic chemistry studies, particularly using nuclear magnetic resonance methods. The relationship between biological systems and nonbiological organic molecules will be emphasized at both graduate and undergraduate levels, including experiments in sophomore organic chemistry laboratory.