CAREER: NEW WATER-SOLUBLE LIGANDS AND TRANSITION METAL COMPLEXES FOR ENZYME MODELING AND CATALYSIS

无机，生物无机和有机化学计划的职业奖支持德雷克塞尔大学Papish教授合成和研究新配体和络合物的工作;目标是模拟重要金属酶的结构和功能。 特别是，Papish小组对磷酸三酯酶（PTE）的建模感兴趣，因为PTE催化农药和神经毒气的水解。 新的配体将被设计成模拟二级配位球，并提供水溶性，这些特性将导致重要水解反应的快速催化。 潜在的研究应用范围很大，包括模拟各种酯酶，碳酸酐酶和加氧酶。 模型配合物可以为绿色化学应用提供催化剂，包括环境毒素的分解，利用氧作为丰富的和环境友好的氧化剂，以及开发一类与水相容的配体作为使用有机溶剂的替代品。这个研究项目将被用来作为教育和激励高中，本科和研究生直接参与研究学生学习科学的一种手段。 为了说明科学和研究是目前代表性不足的群体的可行职业道路，将设立一个以妇女和少数民族化学家为特色的“化学职业”讲习班。 该讲习班将为学生建立一个同行和专业榜样的非正式网络;该网络的成员可以担任导师。此外，他们将描述导致他们成为成功科学家的一系列决定。

This CAREER award in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports work by Professor Papish at Drexel University to synthesize and study new ligands and complexes; the goal is to mimic the structure and function of important metalloenzymes. In particular, the Papish group is interested in modeling phosphotriesterase (PTE) because PTE catalyzes the hydrolysis of both pesticides and nerve gases. New ligands will be designed to mimic the secondary coordination sphere and provide water-solubility, properties that should lead to fast catalysis of important hydrolysis reactions. The scope of potential research applications is large and includes modeling various esterases, carbonic anhydrase and oxygenases. Model complexes could provide catalysts for green chemistry applications, including the breakdown of environmental toxins, the harnessing of oxygen as an abundant and environmentally benign oxidant, and the development of a class of ligands that is compatible with water as an alternative to the use of organic solvents. This research project will be used as a means of educating and motivating high school, undergraduate and graduate students to study science by directly involving students in the research. To illustrate that science and research are viable career paths for currently underrepresented groups, a workshop on 'Careers in Chemistry' that features women and minority chemists will be established. This workshop will create an informal network of peer and professional role models for students; members of this network can serve as mentors. In addition, they will describe the series of decisions that led them to become successful scientists.