SYNTHESIS OF NEW ORGANIC MOLECULES TO ADDRESS IMPORTANT METAL-MEDIATED PROCESSES

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Our research program uses inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and biological chemistry to address important metal-mediated processes with energy, biological, and medical relevance. An interdisciplinary, problem-based approach will be employed to synthesize and characterize new organic molecules and inorganic complexes, with the ultimate goal to tackle unsolved problems with broad implications to our society. Three main research areas will be pursued, which are expected to attract students and postdocs with different research interests and to provide them with a broad knowledge base applicable in most chemistry careers. Non-Heme Iron Enzymes. Non-heme iron enzymes catalyze a wide range of oxidation and oxygenation reactions. This project aims to design and synthesize specific inhibitors of O2-activating non-heme iron enzymes by taking advantage of the enzyme's substrate specificity. Renewable Energy Catalysis. The global energy consumption is expected to at least double in the next fifty years due to population and economic growth. In this context, there is a large interest in developing molecular systems that can capture solar energy and used it to produce oxygen and hydrogen from water. This project regards the design, synthesis, and characterization of polymetallic complexes as potential catalysts for water oxidation. Amyloid b Peptides in Alzheimer's Disease. Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease. The brains of patients with AD are characterized by the deposition of amyloid b (Ab) peptide plaques, which accumulate unusually high concentrations of copper, iron, and zinc. This project is directed toward the investigation of the interaction of transition metal ions with Ab peptides and the study of the role of metal ions in amyloid plaque and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation