This collection contains some of the theses and dissertations produced by students in the University of Oregon Chemistry Graduate Program. Paper copies of these and other dissertations and theses are available through the UO Libraries.
Most biological systems, particularly protein-DNA complexes, leverage a dynamic evolution of their structure to perform a myriad of functions within the context of the cell. Decades of detailed biophysical research have ...
Strained molecules possess the potential energy required to do work in the form of further chemical transformations. Strained alkynes in particular are an attractive handle for such applications as they can undergo the ...
Graphitic carbon nanomaterials hold tremendous promise for a variety of applications. The realization of this potential, however, has been hampered by the lack of synthetic methods by which we can prepare such materials ...
Warren, Gabrielle(University of Oregon, 2024-03-25)
Antiaromaticity, while associated with instability, imparts beneficial properties such as decreased HOMO-LUMO energy gaps. Compounds containing antiaromatic subunits are not only of fundamental interest, but of interest ...
Cycloparaphenylenes and related nanohoops offer a new topology to organic chemists to expand the catalogue of electro-responsive materials. Developments in their synthesis have made many functional groups and arenes ...
Water dissociation (WD, H2O → H+ + OH−) is the core process in bipolar membranes (BPMs) that limits energy efficiency. Both electric-field and catalytic effects have been invoked to describe WD, but the interplay of the ...
This dissertation focuses on the use of the modulated elemental reactants synthesis method to target previously unknown, metastable compounds. The nucleation and growth of the compounds discovered were monitored via x-ray ...
Lindquist, Grace(University of Oregon, 2024-01-09)
Water electrolyzers (WEs) are a key technology for a sustainable economy. When powered by renewable electricity, WEs produce green hydrogen, which can be used for energy, fertilizer, and industrial applications and thus ...
Marshall, Checkers(University of Oregon, 2023-07-06)
Metal-organic framework nanoparticles exhibit both high internal surface area and good colloidal stability in a variety of solvents including biological media. These materials are sought after for a range of applications, ...
The emergence of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as a class of versatile and renewable materials has instigated a paradigm shift in the field of chemistry. Their exceptional properties, such as high surface area, tunable ...
Chromatin is made up of an organism’s DNA and DNA binding proteins inside of the nucleus. Nucleosomes are the fundamental unit of chromatin, consisting of a 147 base pair DNA sequence and a protein octamer comprised of 8 ...
DNA in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells is condensed into chromatin by forming specialized structures called nucleosomes. DNA is wrapped around a set of histone proteins to from nucleosomes, which are eventually positioned ...
Synthesis of new materials drives technological advances, but the ability to consistently predict and synthesize a material with specific properties remains unrealized, especially for metastable materials. Using the modulated ...
DNA functions as a stable repository for heritable information across generations. However, the structure of DNA within the cell must be dynamic, allowing for thermally induced fluctuations to facilitate the recognition ...
Carbon nanomaterials have a wide variety of proposed applications spanning across many different fields. Since their fairly recent isolation, many of these applications are actively being investigated, however those that ...
Crawford, Michael(University of Oregon, 2022-10-26)
Nanocrystals (NCs) of mixed-halide perovskite materials offer great potential for solar cells and light-emitting devices owing to their unusual defect tolerance and the tunability of their bandgap via size and halide ...
Potentiometric sensors are a viable technology for monitoring aqueous anion concentration in real-time, a key process in numerous applications. However, selectivity in ???? ??????? ??????? ??????????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ...
Hydrogen selenide (H2Se) is the central species in the selenium metabolic cycle, sitting at the crossroads of protein-synthetic and excretory pathways. Despite its importance in biology and potential for therapeutic ...
Due to their generally poor conductivity, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been limited in electrical applications. In this dissertation we explore structural deformation as a route to augmenting the electronic properties ...