CAREER: Molecular design through oxacalixarenes: synthetic methods, molecular receptors, and chemical sensors

科尔比学院的Jeffrey L. Katz教授获得了有机和大分子化学项目颁发的CAREER奖，他正在开发草胺[n]芳烃的合成方法，并探索这些化合物作为分子受体和化学传感器的应用。用间二卤代芳烃取代间二酚的亲核芳烃一步法合成了一系列具有不同官能团的草杯芳烃。含萘嘧啶的草叉芳烃被发现作为带有氢键供体的中性芳香化合物的受体（分子镊子），这些受体的光学性质使它们成为中性有机分析物的潜在化学传感器。在CAREER奖的支持下，Katz教授将启动一项基于研究的指导计划，以招募和留住少数民族学生进入化学和其他科学学科。科尔比学院的少数民族学生作为大一和本科教育的组成部分，将在拟议的研究中发挥积极作用，参加研究小组会议，参加地方和国家会议并展示海报，并与其他学生科学家进行学术和社会互动。

With a CAREER Award from the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program, Professor Jeffrey L. Katz of Colby College is developing methods for the synthesis of oxacalix[n]arenes and exploring applications of these compounds as molecular receptors and chemical sensors. A new single-step synthesis of oxacalixarenes by nucleophilic aromatic substitution of meta-diphenols with meta-dihalogenated aromatics allows access to an array of oxacalix[n]arenes bearing diverse functional groups. Naphthyridine-containing oxacalixarenes are found to act as receptors (molecular tweezers) for neutral aromatic compounds bearing hydrogen bond donors, and the optical properties of these receptors makes them potential chemical sensors for neutral organic analytes.With the support of the CAREER award, Professor Katz will initiate a research-based mentoring program for the recruitment and retention of minority students into chemistry and other scientific disciplines. As an integral part their freshmen year and continuing throughout their undergraduate education, minority students at Colby College will have active roles in the proposed research, participate in research group meetings, attend and present posters at local and national meetings, and interact academically and socially with other student-scientists.