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

随着职业生涯奖从有机和高分子化学计划，教授杰弗里L。 科尔比学院的Katz正在开发合成oxacalix[n]芳烃的方法，并探索这些化合物作为分子受体和化学传感器的应用。通过间二酚与间二卤代芳族化合物的亲核芳族取代一步合成氧杂杯[n]芳烃的新方法允许获得一系列具有不同官能团的氧杂杯[n]芳烃。含萘啶的oxacalixarenes被发现可以作为带有氢键供体的中性芳香族化合物的受体（分子钳），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教授将发起一个以研究为基础的指导计划，以招募和保留少数民族学生进入化学和其他科学学科。作为他们的新生一年，并继续在他们的本科教育的一个组成部分，少数民族学生在科尔比学院将在拟议的研究中发挥积极作用，参加研究小组会议，出席并在地方和国家会议上提出海报，并在学术和社会上与其他学生科学家互动。

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.