Research
"I am now beginning to look at graduate schools and feel more confident about attending because of the research I've done."
Anna Butterfield '06
Chemistry
Many students remain on campus over the summer to do research with Juniata faculty. We have had as many as 50 students doing paid summer research in the various departments. Many students also do research during the academic year, either on a volunteer basis or for credit. In addition, some students spend summers at other sites doing research. Recent students have been at federal labs at Oak Ridge and Argonne, academic labs at Harvard, Utah, Virginia, and Berkeley, and industrial labs such as Exygen and Restek.
Most Juniata chemistry graduates do research at some point during their undergraduate careers, and many present their work at outside conferences. Juniata always has one of the largest contingents at the annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research, and between 10 and 20 students usually attend the spring American Chemical Society meeting and present posters there.
Student Research
- Kristin Beiswenger ’11, “Water-Directed Selenium Dioxide Oxidations”
- Samantha Bristol ’11, “Determining the Origin of Obsidian Samples Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)”
- Matthew Fernandez ’12, “Synthesizing Copper Ligands For Hospital Imagery”
- Keith Hilferding ’11, “LIBS Limit of Detection Analysis”
- Zhongwei Hu ’12, “Designing New Stationary Phases in Gas Chromatography”
- Katerina Korch ’11, “A Micelle Templated Approach For Carbon Dots” and “Progress Towards the Synthesis of Polyhydroxykekulene”
- Alyssa Kress ’11, “A Preliminary Evaluation of Portable and Standoff Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Units for the Identification of Hazardous Materials by First Responders” and “Analysis of Silver Coins Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy”
- Brandon Moyer ’11, “Green Catalysis: Synthesis and Characterization of Metal XNX (X = PR2, SR) Pincer Complexes with Potential Use as Transfer Hydrogenation Catalysts in the Production of the Liquid Biofuel 2,5-Dimethylfuran (DMF)”
- Andrew Schuchart ’10, “Guanine 3-N-oxide Copper Complexes as Anticancer Medications?”
- Matthew Scott ’11, “The Synthesis of Catalytic Metal-Pincer Complexes in the Pursuit of Converting Biomass to Biofuels”
- Katie Shughrue ’11, “The Analysis of the ‘Conflict Minerals’ Columbite-Tantalite Using Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)”
- Cameron Stevens ’13, “Lithium Specific Fluoroionophores”
Available Projects
- Dr. Baran - New ligands for asymmetric organometallic catalysis
- Dr. Fisher - Invention and construction of inexpensive analytical instrumentation
- Dr. Hark - Synthesis of ninhydrin analogs for fingerprint visualization and other uses; Application of LIBS to forensic problems
- Dr. Reed - Study of the photorespiratory enzyme glutamate:glyoxylate aminotransferase from the algae chlamydomonas reinhardtii
- Dr. Reingold - Synthesis of 1,5-methanosemibullvalene; Synthesis of polyhydroxykekulene
- Dr. Schettler - GC-GC as a new analytical technique; Monte Carlo calculations for chromatographic predictions
Recent Publications in Refereed Journals
Chemistry as a Second Language: A Method to Enhance Fluency in Chemistry,” I. David Reingold, The Chemical Educator, 2011, 16, 217-219.
Can the provenance of the conflict minerals columbite-tantalite be ascertained by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy? Harmon, R. S., Shughrue, K. M., Remus, J. J., Wise, M. A., East, L. J., Hark, R. R.Anal. Bioanal. Chem., 2011 400, 3377-3382.
Spectroscopic study of mural paintings from the Church of Saint Eulàlia of Unha, Clark, R. J. H., Hark, R.R., Salvadó, N., Butí, S., Pradell, T., J. Raman Spectrosc.,2010, 41,1128-1134.
Assessing the response of watersheds to catastrophic (logging) and possible secular (global temperature change) perturbations using sediment-chemical chronologies, Long, D.T., Parsons, M.J., Yansa, C.H., Yohn, S.S., McLean, C.E., Vannier, R.G. Applied Geochemistry 2010, 25, 143-158.
Raman microscopy and x-ray fluorescence analysis of pigments on medieval and Renaissance Italian manuscript cuttings, Burgio, L., Clark, R. J. H., Hark, R.R. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, 2010, 107 5726-5731.
The Bourdichon Nativity: a masterpiece of light and colour, Burgio, L., Clark, R. J. H., Hark, R.R. V&A Conservation Journal, 2010, 58, 36-38.
Spectroscopic investigations of modern pigments on purportedly medieval miniatures by the so-called ‘Spanish Forger,' Burgio, L., Clark, R. J. H., Hark, R.R. J. Raman Spectrosc., 2009, 40, 2031-2036.
Spectroscopic investigations of Bourdichon miniatures: masterpieces of light and colour, Burgio, L., Clark, R. J. H., Hark, R.R., Rumsey, M. S., Zannini, C. Appl. Spectroscopy, 2009, 63, 611-620.
Aqueous V(V)-Peroxo-Amino Acid Chemistry. Synthesis, Structural and Spectroscopic Characterization of Unusual ternary Dinuclear Tetraperoxo Vanadium(V)-Glycine Complexes, Gabriel, C.; Kaliva, M.; Venetis, J.; Baran, P.; Rodriguez-Escuedro, I.; Voyiatzis, G.; Zervou, M.; Salifoglou, A., Inorganic Chemistry, 2009, 48(2), 476-487.
Photobromination of 5-Methoxyindan and 5-Methoxyindanone: Preparation of Bromoindenones and Ready Access to 5-Bromo-3,10-dimethoxy-7H-benzo[c]fluoren-7-one, Tutar, A., Berkil, K., Hark, R. R., Çakmak, O., Balci, M. Synthetic Commun. 2008, 38:9, 1333-1345.
A Mixed-Valence Octanuclear Iron-Oxo Pyrazolate: Assessment of Electronic Delocalization by Structural and Spectroscopic Analysis, Chakraborty, I.; Baran, P.; Sanakis, Y.; Simopoulos, A.; Fachini, E.; Raptis, G. R., Inorganic Chemistry, 2008, 47(24), 11734-11737.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Study of Octanuclear Iron-Oxo Clusters Containing a Redox-Active Fe4O4-Cubane Core, Baran, P.; Boča, R.; Chakraborty, I.; Giapintzakis, J.; Herchel, R.; Huang, Q.; McGrady, J. E.; Raptis, G. R.; Sanakis, Y.; Simopoulos, A. Inorganic Chemistry, 2008, 47(2), 645-655.
Solution identification and solid state characterisation of a heterometallic polyoxometalate {Mo11V7}: [MoVI11VV5VIV2O52(m9-SO3)]7-, Miras, H. N.; Stone, D. J.; McInnes, E. J. L.; Raptis, R. G.; Baran, P.; Chilas, G. I.; Sigalas, M. P.; Kabanos, T. A.; Cronin, L. Chem. Commun., 2008, 39, 4703-4705.
Low-dimensional compounds containing cyano groups. XV. Preparation, crystal structure and spectral properties of three copper(II) nitrosodicyanomethanide complexes, Potočňák, I.; Vavra, M.; Jäger, L.; Baran, P.; Wagner, C. Trans. Met. Chem., 2008, 33, 1-8.
Undergraduate Context Sessions: How to Help Undergraduates Get More Out of Professional Meetings, I. David Reingold, K. C. Russell, Ron Brisbois, Nancy Mills, Tom Mitzel, Kathleen Mondanaro, Jeffrey Katz, CUR Quarterly, 2008, 29, 39.
A Pyrazolate-Supported Fe3(μ3-O) Core: Structural, Spectroscopic, Electrochemical, and Magnetic Study Piñero, D.; Baran, P.; Boča, R.; Herchel, R.; Klein, M.; Raptis, G. R.; Renz, F.; Sanakis, Y. Inorganic Chemistry, 2007, 46(26), 10981-10989.
6-(4-Hydroxybenzylamino)purin-3-ium chloride: a protonated form of paratopoline, Travnicek, Zdenek; George, Kara M.; Matikova-Malarova, Miroslava; Baran, Peter Acta Crystallographica, Section E: Structure Reports Online 2007, E63(9), o3859.
Spatial and temporal trends of mercury loadings to Michigan inland lakes, Parsons, M.J., Long, D.T., Yohn, S.S., Giesy, J.P. Environmental Science and Technology 2007, 41, 5634-5640.
pH-Specific synthesis, spectroscopic, and structural characterization of an assembly of species between Co(II) and N,N-bis(phosphonomethyl)glycine. Gaining insight into metal-ion phosphonate interactions in aqueous Co(II)-organophosphonate systems. Mateescu, Anca; Gabriel, Catherine; Raptis, Raphael G.; Baran, Peter; Salifoglou, Athanasios Inorganica Chimica Acta 2007, 360, 638-648.
An expedient synthesis of 7(S)-ethyl-8(R or S)-indolizidinols based on a thiophene reductive desulfurization. Marchalin, Stefan; Zuziova, Jozefina; Kadlecikova, Katarina; Safar, Peter; Baran, Peter; Dalla, Vincent; Daich, Adam. Tetrahedron Letters 2007, 48, 697-702.
Synthesis of silver nanoparticles. Solomon, SD; Bahadory, M; Jeyarajasingam A; Rutkowsky, S; Mulfinger. L. Journal of Chemistry Education 2007, 84(2), 322.
Electronic structure of the 6+6 dimer of tropone. Reingold, I. D.; Kowalski, J. A.; Cummings, G. C.; Gleiter, R.; Lange, H.; Lovell, S.; Kahr, B.; Aflatooni, K.; Burrow, P. D.; Gallup, G. A. Journal of Physical Organic Chemistry 2006, 19(10), 642-646.
Tandem Michael Addition/Amino-Nitrile Cyclization from 2-Formyl-1,4-DHP in the Synthesis of Novel Dihydroindolizine-Based Compounds. Marchalin, Stefan; Baumlova, Barbora; Baran, Peter; Oulyadi, Hassan; Daiech, Adam Journal of Organic Chemistry 2006, 71, 9114-9127.
New diterpenes of the pseudopterane class from two closely related Pseudopterogorgia species: Isolation, structural elucidation, and biological evaluation. Marrero, Jeffrey; Ospina, Claudia A.; Rodriguez, Abimael D.; Baran, Peter; Zhao, Hong; Franzblau, Scott G.; Ortega-Barria, Eduardo. Tetrahedron 2006, 62, 6998-7008.
