Chemical Research

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I have two primary areas of chemical research: molecular biophysical studies of heme proteins and materials synthesis and characterization.

Effort in the former focus on the development of a molecular level understanding of how heme proteins, in particular, have been designed to specifically accomplish the rather wide range of chemistries that they do in nature. For example, consider the following four heme proteins: cytochrome c, myoglobin, horseradish peroxidase, and cytochrome P450. All contain a single heme chromophore, which functions as the protein's active site, and all contain a single amino acid chain. Yet each performs a very distinct and unique function: cytochrome c is a redox protein and shuttles electrons. Myoglobin binds small molecules in its reduced (ferrous) form. Peroxidase and cytochrome P450 both are involved in detoxification but each uses a different catalytic mechanism in their respective organisms to accomplish this - peroxidase, found in plants, follows an oxidative electron transfer mechanism while cytochrome P450, commonly found in mammalian organisms, follows an oxo transfer mechanism. To probe the relationship between structure and function in these proteins and enzymes we purposely perturb the structure and function of the protein or enzyme by dissolving or suspending it in organic solvents of different polarity and then we characterize the protein structure (using a wide range of spectroscopic probes including UV-vis, CD, RR, and NMR) and we characterize the protein function (using enzyme assays or cyclic voltammetry depending on the system).

In the latter, our efforts are currently centered on the development of a suite of novel, environmentally benign methods for synthesizing conducting polymers. One method involves the direct electrochemical synthesis of conducting polymers in supercritical fluids such as carbon dioxide. Another method involves the electrochemical synthesis of these materials from neat redox liquids. Our methods have a number of advantages including that of producing conducting polymer films with conductivities higher than that resulting from traditional methods.

Some of the research projects currently under investigation in our lab include the following:

	Non-Aqueous Biochemistry - Work in this area focuses on developing a molecular level understanding of the principles governing biomolecular recognition in the four heme proteins and enzymes mentioned above through fundamental spectroscopic and electrochemical study of these biomolecules in organic solvents and in supercritical fluids.
	Non-Aqueous Bioelectrochemistry - Efforts in this subgroup focus at present on demonstration of proof-of-concept for the oxidation/reduction of biomolecules in organic solvents, supercritical fluids, and in mixtures of aqueous and organic media.
	Materials Chemistry - Current efforts focus on the development of novel "Green" (environmentally benign) methods for the synthesis of conducting polymers. One new method exploits the unique properties of supercritical solvents as solvent media in order to electrosynthesize important materials to the use of supercritical solvents.

Sponsors

We wish to thank:
The Northeastern University Research & Development Fund
The National Science Foundation
ACS Petroleum Research Fund

for their continued support of our work!