Supramolecular Recognition and Sensing of Hazardous Anionic Contaminants with Urea and Thiourea Based Synthetic Receptors
Abstract
The design and synthesis of molecular sensors capable of selective binding of target anions are of crucial importance due to their key roles in the environmental and biological processes. This project is focused on the development of highly-sensitive detecting devices for hazardous anionic species including uranate, perchlorate, tungstate, sulfate, nitrate, cyanide, iodide and fluoride. The project is based on the hypothesis that the incorporation of a urea or thiourea functional group in a designed molecular backbone will provide strong and directional binding forces for anions through hydrogen bonding (NH???anion) interactions. In addition, attaching a fluorophore unit to a synthetic receptor will result in a detectable signal in the presence of an anion. The overall goal of this proposal is to increase the number of underrepresented and minority students, expose them to state-of-the-art research, and encourage students to pursue careers in STEM fields. As a step towards this goal, the objectives of this project are to: (i) synthesize a new series of urea/thiourea functionalized receptors with variable dimensions, sizes, and spacers; (ii) investigate molecular interactions of the proposed receptors with selected anions using NMR, UV-Vis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography; (iii) study the liquid-liquid extraction of anions from aqueous solution by the synthesized receptors using gravimetric and spectroscopic analysis; and (iv) calculate binding energies and electronic spectra using molecular modeling to gain a theoretical understanding of intermolecular interactions. This project will provide a basis to identify key factors controlling selective recognition at the molecular level. In particular, the multiple, directional binding sites will allow these novel compounds for identification and separation of anions present in contaminated water and soil.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 18, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1910006
Entities
People
- Alamgir Hossain
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Jackson State University
- Office of the Secretary of Defense