Graduate Students & Postdoctoral Researchers Lead Laboratory Safety Efforts

DECEMBER 2012

CHEM news DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY NEWSLETTER

Inside this issue… Graduate students & postdoctoral researchers lead laboratory Highlights 2 safety efforts

Lab experiences From safety- 6 themed posters to informative safety Current research moments before 8 meetings and seminars, creation of a safety website, and an increased 11Student honors emphasis on wearing proper safety gear in laboratories, graduate

students and postdoctoral Kathryn “Kate” McGarry, a graduate student in the De- Faculty & staff awards researchers are taking the lead partment of Chemistry and chair of the Joint Safety Team 14 Administrative Committee, demonstrates how hoods and in improving and sustaining the safety culture in protective glass are important safety features that need the University of Minnesota College of Science & to be used appropriately in laboratories, as is wearing personal protective equipment. Donors Engineering’s chemistry and chemical engineering 18 laboratories. This fall, they kicked off a new safety campaign, “Safety Starts with U!” Minnesota for this safety initiative, it is sharing its best-in-class laboratory safety practices, exam- Through a unique partnership with the Dow Legacies ples, advice, and resources with U of M students 19 Chemical Company, graduate students and and postdoctorates. Last spring, Dow sponsored postdoctoral researchers from the departments of a two-day safety training for students and faculty Chemistry (CHEM) and Chemical Engineering at its facility in Michigan, and since then, it has and Materials Science (CEMS) are providing New appointment been providing ongoing advice to the graduate 20 the leadership to a ﬁrst-ever pilot program to students and post doctorates. improve safety awareness and practices. While the Dow Chemical Company is not providing “Ensuring safe working environments in research a ﬁnancial donation to the University of laboratories is both a challenge as well as an continued on page 10 message from the CHAIR

CHEM news Our highlights include DECEMBER 2012 partnerships, research, DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY CHAIR William Tolman student and faculty EDITOR Eileen Harvala

Department of Chemistry accomplishments College of Science & Engineering University of Minnesota Smith Hall Welcome to the fall 2012 edition of our 207 Pleasant Street, S.E. printed newsletter. We have enhanced Minneapolis, MN 55455 its appearance. We hope you enjoy This publication/material is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests to Eileen Harvala, Department of Chemistry, 612-624-0831, reading about all of the exciting [email protected]. happenings that have occurred in the The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity and employer. Chair William Tolman Department of Chemistry this past year. The University’s mission, carried out on multiple campuses and throughout the state, is threefold: research and discovery, teaching and learning, In this issue, you will find articles describing of other advances from the research groups of and outreach and public service. our new safety partnership with Dow Chemical Professors Marc Hillmyer, Connie Lu, Valerie © 2012 Regents of the University of Minnesota. Company; some major new research center Pierre, and Andreas Stein. All rights reserved. grants supporting theoretical chemistry Undergraduate participants in research gain Photo of Christy Haynes by Steve Niedorf efforts; a particularly exciting discovery from greatly from their experiences, as shown in the Hoye research group that has garnered stories about two of our outstanding gradu- international attention; and profiles of a few ates, Spencer Knight and Julian Lo, who have of our outstanding students. gone on to enter doctorate programs. Updates The safety partnership with Dow is already on (many!) student and faculty honors round reaping major dividends. We are improving out the issue, including a story on Professor our culture of safety through a myriad of Christy Haynes being named one of Popular initiatives led by a group of graduate students Science’s “Brilliant 10.” and postdoctorates from our department and Stay in Touch Finally, please join me in welcoming new the Department of Chemical Engineering and faculty member, Professor Will Pomerantz, Materials Science. Visit our website at whose research focuses on using 19F spec- www.chem.umn.edu Research is thriving, as illustrated by increased troscopy to elucidate protein structure. As levels of funding and the extensive dissem- undergraduate enrollments in the College of ination of exciting new findings. Examples Science & Engineering continue to increase, include the funding of two new theoretical we are excited about growing our faculty. Our Join our Facebook group chemistry centers led by Professors Christopher outstanding faculty members are committed Cramer and Laura Gagliardi through new to tackling the most critical scientific and grants totaling more than $13 million from educational challenges. Please stay in touch, the Department of Energy; a serendipitous and think about supporting our efforts to discovery of a useful new variant of the iconic educate students and generate new knowledge. Follow us at Twitter Diels-Alder reaction by Professor Thomas Hoye and his research group; and a selection

Join the Chemistry Department group on LinkedIn

2 CHEM news December 2012 Kolthoff inducted into Science William Pomerantz & Technology Hall of Fame joins Department of One of the University of Minnesota’s most famous chemists, Chemistry faculty Isaak Maurits Kolthoff, received, posthumously, a 2012 Tekne William “Will” Award and was inducted into the Minnesota Science & Pomerantz, Ph.D., has Technology Hall of Fame. joined the The Tekne Award was created by the Minnesota High Tech Department Association to honor people whose achievements in science and of Chemistry technology have made lasting contributions to the state of as an assistant Minnesota and to the world. The Minnesota Science & professor. Technology Hall of Fame is a permanent exhibit at the Science Before coming Museum of Minnesota. William Pomerantz to the Uni- Isaak Kolthoff was a highly influential chemist. He is widely versity of Minnesota, Pomerantz was a considered to be the father of analytical chemistry, developing it National Institute of Health National into a modern science. He was born on February 11, 1894, in Research Service Award postdoctoral Almelo, Holland. He died on March 4, 1993, in St. Paul, Minnesota. research fellow at the University of Michigan. He earned his doctorate in Isaak Kolthoff In 1911, he entered the University of Utrecht, Holland, where he earned his doctorate in chemistry. On the basis of his world- organic chemistry from the University renowned reputation, he was invited to join the faculty of the University of Minnesota’s of Wisconsin-Madison; was a Seydel/ Department of Chemistry in 1927. By the time of his retirement from the university in 1962, Fulbright Fellow at the Swiss Federal he had published approximately 800 papers. He continued to publish approximately 150 more Institute of Technology; and received papers until his health failed. He also was the author of textbooks and a 30-volume treatise on his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from analytical chemistry. Ithaca College. Best known to the general public is Kolthoff’s work on synthetic rubber. During World War II, Pomerantz is interested in modulating the government established a comprehensive research program at major industrial companies and the function of protein-protein interac- several universities, including Minnesota. Kolthoff quickly assembled a large research group and tions through the use of small molecules made major contributions to the program. and bio-inspired peptide scaffolds. His research uses organic synthesis, Kolthoff’s research, covering approximately a dozen areas of chemistry, was recognized by biophysical, biochemistry and molecu- many medals and memberships in learned societies throughout the world. He received honorary lar biology techniques to investigate the Doctor of Science degrees from the University of Chicago, the University of Groningen, folding/misfolding and disease pathways Brandeis University, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was knighted by the Nether- of intrinsically disordered proteins lands Government as a Commander in the Order of Orange-Nassau. He received the William (IDPs). His research interests exploit the H. Nichols Medal in 1949, the Robert Boyle Medal from the Royal Society of Chemistry in bio-orthogonality and the hypersensitiv- England, the Charles Medal of the Charles University in Prague, and the Fisher Award, among ity of fluorine chemical shifts to changes other awards and medals. In his honor, the University of Minnesota Board of Regents named a in chemical environment for probing new chemistry research building Kolthoff Hall in 1972. In 1983, he received the America Chem- important protein-protein interactions ical Society Division of Analytical Chemistry inaugural Award for Excellence in Teaching. of structurally challenging proteins and Many of Kolthoff’s graduate students went on to successful careers in industry and academic to ultimately explore their behavior in life and, in turn, trained many more. In 1982, it was estimated that approximately 1,100 Ph.D. cells (in-cell nuclear magnetic resonance). holders could trace their scientific roots to Kolthoff. The Department of Chemistry honors This research is complemented with Kolthoff’s legacy with the Kolthoff Lectureship in Chemistry, annually inviting some of the most established biophysical techniques, renowned scientists in the world to present a series of lectures and meet with faculty members organic synthesis of chemical probes, and students. and new peptide-based strategies for pre-organization and cellular delivery for studying challenging IDPs under physiological conditions.

www.chem.umn.edu 3 Undergraduates beneﬁt from laboratory research experiences The Department of Chemistry’s undergraduate program attracts some of the brightest students at the university. They excel in the chemistry academic program and in research, and some go on to attend excellent graduate schools. Two outstanding graduates are Spencer Charles Knight and Julian Castro Lo. Both graduated with the high distinction of summa cum laude in the spring of 2012.

Spencer Charles Knight Julian Castro Lo Spencer is a first-year Learning from graduate students and postdoc- Julian Castro Lo, chemistry graduate toral researchers was an important part of his a first-year gradu- student at the Uni- undergraduate experiences. ate student at The versity of California, Scripps Research “I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with all Berkeley, where he is Institute (TSRI) in La of the great graduate students and postdocs conducting research Jolla, CA, is seeking a in the Tolman and Hillmyer groups over the under the tutelage of doctorate in organic years,” he said. “They greatly improved the Professor Christo- chemistry, and is quality of my science, helped me to develop pher Chang. His conducting research Spencer Charles Knight critical thinking skills, and made life in the lab Julian Castro Lo honors and awards under the tutelage of a lot more fun.” at the University Professor Phil Baran. Those laboratory experiences taught Spencer of Minnesota included a National Science While at the University of Minnesota, he some fundamental laboratory techniques and Foundation Graduate Fellowship, a College received many prestigious scholarships, improved his critical-thinking skills. of Science & Engineering Merit Scholarship, fellowships, and awards, including a National an Undergraduate Research Opportunities “I learned how to dig through the literature Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship, Program grant, a Heisig/Gleysteen Summer when tackling brand new scientific problems, the David A. and Merece H. Johnson Schol- Research Fellowship, and a Prentice Hall and how to design appropriate experiments arship, the Pfizer La Jolla Academic-Industrial Organic Chemistry Book Prize. Under the when things go wrong,” said Spencer. “I also Relations Diversity Research Fellowship in tutelage of his advisers, Professors William learned the value in collaborating with others Chemistry, the Brasted Memorial Fellowship, Tolman and Marc Hillmyer, Spencer wrote to solve problems.” the Heisig/Gleysteen Summer Research an honors thesis titled, “Mechanistic Studies Fellowship, the Undergraduate Research of Indium Catalysts for the Polymerization of Spencer’s current research is focused on developing chemical probes for imaging iron Opportunities Program Award, the American Lactide and Synthesis of Biorenewable Polyols Chemical Society Division of Inorganic from Carvone.” in neurons. Elucidating the mechanisms of iron signaling and trafficking in the brain Chemistry Undergraduate Award, the J. Lewis Spencer enjoyed his undergraduate laboratory might lead to a better understanding of Maynard Memorial Prize in Advanced Inor- experiences. how neurodegenerative diseases, aging, and ganic Chemistry, and the Merck Index Award. “Working in Bill Tolman’s lab was a blast!“ memory work at the molecular level. Julian conducted research in the Professor he said. “Some of my favorite experiences His experiences in the chemistry program at Thomas Hoye’s laboratory. What he learned were using the outstanding instrumentation the University of Minnesota are propelling working with the Hoye research group is facilities at Minnesota, including the nuclear him toward a possible future as a professor at a helping him at Scripps. magnetic resonance lab, the characteriza- research university. “Working on a natural product synthesis in tion facility, the mass spectrometry facility, “I am passionate about teaching, and I also the Hoye group gave me the opportunity to and various instruments in the Tolman and familiarize myself with numerous reactions and Hillmyer labs; creating testable plastic films really enjoy research,” he said. “I would ideally like to be a professor at a research university to work with a myriad of different reagents,” from the polymers that I synthesized in lab; said Julian. “I’ve run several of those same and sharing my research at conferences, one day. For the time being, I am content with just surviving and doing well in my first reactions at Scripps. The very first reaction I undergraduate poster sessions, and even the ran in graduate school was one that I had run Minnesota State Fair.” semester of graduate school.”

4 CHEM news December 2012 many times as an undergrad. As lame as this might sound, performing familiar chemistry at a time when everything else was unfamiliar washed away my anxiety about starting gradu- Chemistry Courses Enrollment ate school.”

Beyond the research experiences, Julian said 15000 that the highlights of his undergraduate 14000 research were the daily interactions with other members of Hoye’s research team. 13000 12000

11000

“They showed me what it 10000 Chemistry Courses Enrollment means to be a successful 9000

chemist: the curiosity that 8000

leads one into the unknown…” 7000

—Julian Lo 6000 2012-13* 2011-122011-10** 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08

Chemistry has some of the highest enrollments in the College of Science & Engineering “They taught me everything that I know about and the University of Minnesota. Most undergraduates are required to take general laboratory techniques from things as simple chemistry courses. *The 2012-13 enrollment only includes the number of enrolled students as evaporating off solvent using a rotovap to for the fall of the 2012-13 school year. **The 2010-11 enrollment does not include the pretty challenging things such as working with compounds that decompose upon touching number of students enrolled during the summer. air,” said Julian. “They showed me what it means to be a successful chemist: the curiosity that leads one into the unknown; the self- Our Undergraduates: By the Numbers discipline that allows one to keep chugging along when success is rare; and the ability to 2011-2012 2010-2011 2009-2010 2008-2009 2007-2008 keep one’s composure when the unexpected happens. Everyone in the group had some role, 140

direct or indirect, in mentoring me and I will 120 always cherish my memories of them.” 100 Julian’s research in the Baran laboratory at The Scripps Research Institute centers on using nat- 80 ural product synthesis as a platform to explore 60 chemical reactivity and develop innovative solu- 40 tions to current deﬁciencies in organic chemistry. Currently, he is working on a total synthesis 20 of a family of terpene natural products via a 0 biomimetic route that involves the construction ies of an archetypical carbon skeleton of the family

and subsequent oxidation utilizing a variety of # Graduates

C-H functionalization and other techniques to Graduate School arrive at the desired family members. Conducted Research Employment/Industr

As for the future, Julian wants to pay his Each year a high percentage of Department of Chemistry undergraduates participate mentorship experiences forward. “Given all my in research opportunities. This chart illustrates the number of graduates, the number of positive experiences being mentored, I would students that conducted research, and their self-reported plans for graduate school or like to eventually start my own research group at employment in industries. a university and mentor younger generations of chemists,” he said. “Making it through graduate school would be a good ﬁrst start though!”

www.chem.umn.edu 5 RESEARCH Researchers uncover the broad scope “Serendipity—discovering by textbook and taught to every organic chemistry student. accident something good The new HDDA reaction is a variant of that or useful that was not being classic Diels-Alder reaction (Figure 1). In the searched for.” It is not surprising typical Diels-Alder reaction, six-membered rings (cyclohexenes, 3) are formed by the that serendipity occurs a lot in reaction of two precursors—a diene (1) and a the scientific community. But dienophile (2). The hexadehydro-Diels-Alder reaction involves, instead, the cycloaddition it takes curiosity, knowledge, of a conjugated diyne (4) with another alkyne, wisdom, and tenacity to prevent the “diynophile” (5 ). But this seemingly subtle difference has a huge, beneficial ramifi- that serendipitous discovery cation. The product is, itself, a highly reactive from being overlooked or species called a benzyne (6a/6b). dismissed as a mistake. Benzynes are one of the most widely studied and useful of all “reactive intermediates” Professor Thomas encountered in organic chemistry. However, Hoye and members because of the preparative requirements for of his research team generating benzynes, they can be challenging have uncovered the to make. In addition, because of the other heretofore-over- external reagents, which are other additives looked scope of an needed to bring about chemical reactions, important chemical and byproducts such as metals and bases that reaction, which accompany the typical methods for preparing Figure 2 they have named benzynes, certain types of benzyne trapping Professor Thomas Hoye the hexadehydro- reactions are not feasible. In contrast, the (cf. 8), which are stable, versatile, synthetic Diels-Alder two-stage HDDA cascade reaction (Figure 2) organic compounds used in the development (HDDA) reaction. Discovering new modes of merely involves heating the appropriate triyne of pharmaceuticals, including many marketed chemical reactivity is rare and is so unprec- precursor (e.g., 7) in the presence of the ben- drugs (i.e., pharmaceutical agents), agrochem- edented that the University of Minnesota is zyne trapping agent; no other reagents need icals, dyes, and polymers. seeking a patent for it. to be present. Thus, the HDDA process rep- resents a highly complementary and orthogo- Postdoctorate researcher Beeraiah Baire, Hoye’s reaction builds on the work of nal method for constructing the high-energy Ph.D., unexpectedly encountered the first Otto Paul Hermann Diels and Kurt Alder, benzynes (e.g., 9, enroute to 8 via 10). example of the HDDA reaction during the who first documented what is called the course of an unrelated study in July 2011. Diels-Alder reaction in 1928. They received Benzynes are highly valued because of their a Nobel Prize for their work in 1950. remarkable efficiency and ability to react with “We could have easily talked ourselves out of Every chemist knows about the Diels-Alder other chemical substances. They are used to this,” said Hoye. “We sensed that we were on reaction. It is presented in every chemistry build structurally complex benzenoid products to something, but we initially didn’t know what

Figure 1

6 CHEM news December 2012 of overlooked chemical reaction

“We could have easily talked ourselves out of this… Something instinctively told us that this was an important observation and discovery.” —Professor Thomas Hoye

Since last summer, Hoye, Baire, and graduate for his research and his teaching, including students Dawen Niu, Patrick Willoughby, being named the Merck Professor of Chemistry and Brian Woods have been using the HDDA in 2002, being recognized as a Distinguished reaction to create benzynes and have been Graduate Teaching Professor in 1999, and studying the resulting new reactivity patterns. receiving the Horace T. Morse University of Hoye hopes that this ongoing research will Minnesota Alumni Association Award for lead to new discoveries for the use of ben- Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate zynes. One example is the development of Education in 2007. More than 130 undergrad- compound libraries useful to support drug uates students have done independent research discovery efforts. studies in his laboratories. Twelve masters and 74 doctoral graduate students have carried out Their work on the hexadehydro-Diels-Alder their thesis research under his guidance, and reaction was published in the October 11 dozens of postdoctoral and visiting scientists edition of Nature (doi:10.1038/nature11518). have studied in his group. Hoye is a top organic chemist and professor. it was. Something instinctively told us that this The primary emphasis of Hoye’s research He joined the University of Minnesota chem- was an important observation and discovery.” group is the development of new strategies for istry faculty in 1976 and has received accolades natural product total synthesis.

Bicontinuous Nanoporous Plastics by a Simple Process Professor Marc Hillmyer and postdoctoral researcher Myungeun Seo, Ph.D.

A method of generating reticulated nanoporous polymers using a simple process that holds tremen- dous promise for many applications in nanoscience and technology. By incorporating a crosslinker in the controlled polymerization process for block polymer synthesis, Seo found that microphase separation occurs during polymerization and produces a crosslinked nanostructured composite with bicontinuous morphology. Reticulated nanoporous polymers with sub-10 nm pores were readily obtained by selective etching of a sacriﬁcial segment. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of a typical nanoporous sample is shown below. Combining the advantages of block polymer self-assembly and polymerization-induced phase separation presents a simple way to make nanoporous polymers with pores percolating in 3D, precise control over pore size distribution, and mechanical integrity. The report describing this work was published in the journal Science.

A representative scanning electron micrograph of reticulated nanoporous polymer after ~ 1 nm of Pt coating (inset: magniﬁed image)

www.chem.umn.edu 7 RESEARCH

Going Short with Iron and Chromium Professors Connie Lu and Laura Gagliardi, graduate student P. Alex Rudd, undergraduate Shengsi (Mike) Liu, and postdoctoral researcher Nora Planas, Ph.D.

Transition metal pairs can form multiple bonds with versatile, multi-electron redox properties, which is promising for catalytic applications. A wide range of unique electronic properties and chemical reactivity can be imagined for the vast combinations of first-row TM elements in their various oxidation states. Using a “double-decker” ligand that can bind two transition metals together, Lu and Rudd have bonded iron to chromium in an ultra-short way: the metal-metal bond length is less than 2 angstroms (1.94 Å)! Their molecule is the first example of multiple bonds between different first-row metals and broke the record for the shortest heterobimetallic bond. Gagliardi, Liu, and Planas performed the quantum chemical calculations that revealed a formal triple bond and elucidated the metal oxidation states as zero- valent iron and Cr(III). This work has been submitted to Angewandte Chemie. Ultimately, this research aims to understand how one transition metal influences another, with the ultimate goal of tuning chemical properties and reactivity by the scholarly choice of metal-metal pairings. Currently, the researchers are

studying the reactivity with carbon dioxide in gearing towards catalytic CO2 conversion.

A Selective Luminescent Probe for the Direct Time-Gated Detection of ATP Professor Valerie C. Pierre, graduate student Evan A. Weitz, and undergraduate students Jennifer Y. Chang and Adam H. Rosenﬁeld

Kinases, enzymes that transfer a phosphate groups from adenosine-5’-triphosphate (ATP) to specific protein substrates, currently represent one of the two largest classes of targets for drug discovery. The search for new kinase inhibitors, critical tools in cancer therapy, often begins with the high throughput screening of libraries followed by the evaluation of the potency of potential leads and their selectivity for a desired kinase. These studies require the widespread availability of efficient and affordable screens for kinase activity. The most important features coveted by researchers in a probe are that the probe must concurrently be affordable, non-radioactive, label-free, antibody-free, generic (able to screen all classes of kinases), and must enable the study of large protein substrates. In addition time-resolved or time-gated luminescence detection is highly preferred as are assays that measure the accumulation of ADP as opposed to the phosphorylation of a peptide or the displacement of a biomarker. None of the current commercial assays fulfill all of these requirements. Moreover, none can be performed at higher concentrations of ATP, closer to the intracellular concentrations of 1-10 mM needed to study inhibitors of low-affinity kinases, and none enable direct real-time monitoring of kinase kinetics. Through rational design, the Pierre research group has recently developed the first luminescent probe that fulfills all user-defined requirements. The probe consists of a small terbium complex that binds reversibly and with differential affinity ATP, adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP). The probe is designed in such a way that binding of the nucleotide affects its luminescence; the different binding affinities thus advantageously enable direct monitoring of enzymatic reaction. This work was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

8 CHEM news December 2012 Flexible Battery Electrodes from Nanoparticles Professor Andreas Stein and graduate students Yuqiang Qian and Anh Vu

Due to the growing interest in ﬂexible electronics such as roll-up displays, stretchable integrated circuits, and wearable multimedia or medical devices, there is a need to develop rechargeable batteries with ﬂexible structures by commercially viable methods. To achieve this goal, graduate students Yuqiang Qian and Anh Vu devised a straightforward

preparation of composite electrode ﬁlms from vanadium oxide (V2O5)

nanowires and graphene nanosheets. V2O5 has been widely studied as an electrode material for rechargeable lithium batteries due to its low cost and high energy density. However, its electrical conductivity

is limited, and it is typically used in the form of a powder. When V2O5 is normally employed in an electrode, it therefore requires additives such as conductive carbon particles and a binder. By simply mixing water-based

dispersions of graphene nanosheets (GS) and V2O5 nanowires and passing

them through a filter, free-standing, flexible V2O5-graphene composite films were prepared, suitable as binder-free electrodes in lithium ion batteries. The use of a surfactant in the synthesis mixture facilitated good dispersion of the two nanoparticle components in water, ensuring good intermixing of them in the composite films. The electrical conductivity increased with higher loadings of graphene nanosheets, which provided an electron

pathway. The integrated composite structure, composed of ﬂatly-aligned, crystalline V2O5 nanowires embedded within stacks of graphene sheets,

endowed the ﬁlms with excellent charge and discharge properties, good cyclability, and, depending on the relative V2O5:GS content, high

specific capacity and/or high rate capabilities. Because the V2O5:GS ratio can be easily adjusted during the film synthesis, it can be optimized for specific rate or capacity requirements. These composite films are promising candidates for electrical energy storage applications that require flexible electrodes. This research was published in the Journal of the Electrochemical Society.

Awards enable collaborations with undergraduate institutions The National Science Foundation (NSF) transferable potentials for phase equilibria Since 2010, Siepmann has been heading a made two awards to support research teams (TraPPE) force field. collaborative project supported by an NSF led by Professor Ilja Siepmann and co-investi- Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation The award from the Chemistry Division is gators at primarily undergraduate institutions grant aimed at providing molecular-level aimed at the development and application (PUIs). The co-investigators are Department understanding of atmospheric nucleation of Monte Carlo simulation tools for hydro- of Chemistry alumni. projects. This project involves Kelly Anderson philic interaction liquid chromatography, at Roanoke College. The award from the Division of Chemical, ion chromatography, and surface enhanced Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Raman spectroscopy (SERS) chemosensors. Eggimann, Rafferty and Anderson are all De- Systems is aimed at the development of trans- This collaboration involves Jake Rafferty at partment of Chemistry alumni who conduct- ferable force fields and efficient Monte Carlo North Hennepin Community College. He ed their graduate research at the University of algorithms and their application to phase and will analyze simulation trajectories. Minnesota. sorption equilibria. This collaboration involves In addition to the PUI researchers, these Professor Becky Eggimann and her students projects also benefit from collaboration with at Wheaton College who will spearhead the Peter Koenig at Procter & Gamble and Mark design of an interactive web page for the Schure at Dow Chemicals.

www.chem.umn.edu 9 Laboratory safety efforts continued from page 1 opportunity for universities everywhere,” said Pankaj Gupta, Ph.D., senior strategy leader for research and development at Dow Chem- ical Company, who along with others on the “We identified areas of safety that needed Dow team has been collaborating with the improvement and devised a list of ways to two U of M departments. “Through this safety partnership with the University of Minne- address those areas.” sota, we expand our relationship by leveraging our strength in laboratory safety,” he said. —Kathryn “Kate” McGarry, This safety partnership will benefit the CHEM graduate student and University of Minnesota and has the potential JST Administrative Committee chair to help other universities across the country as well. Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the two departments have formed a “We identified areas of safety that needed Long-term, the JST will focus on maintaining Joint Safety Team (JST), which comprises improvement and devised a list of ways to the safety campaign. 62 Laboratory Safety Officers (LSOs) and a address those areas,” said Kathryn “Kate” “This campaign addresses the need to number of interested graduate students from McGarry, a CHEM graduate student and improve the culture of safety in our labora- the two departments. chair of the JST Administrative Committee. tories in proactive, collaborative, and direct “The JST will be working closely with our The JST’s safety campaign focuses on four key ways,” said Professor William Tolman, chair department chairs, personnel from the areas—CARE: of the Department of Chemistry. “The fact University’s Department of Environmental that it is being led by the graduate students ❚ Compliance: improve compliance Health & Safety (DEHS), and members of and postdoctoral researchers is terrific. Their with lab standards on hazardous waste Dow Chemical Company to implement these energy and creative ideas are already having a handling, sample and chemical storage, lab recommendations. Our motivation and profound impact,” he said. cleanliness, and the wearing of personal actions hopefully will encourage the rest of protective equipment (PPE); our community to join us in establishing a What is learned in this pilot project could be better culture of safety,” she said. shared across the university. ❚ Awareness: improve awareness of safety hazards, best practices, and available re- The short-term recommendations were im- “The Department of Environmental Health sources around the theme of “Safety Starts plemented this fall. They include creating and and Safety is committed to learning from this with U!”; posting new laboratory signs that emphasize innovative program and sharing what we have PPE requirements, potential hazards in the learned from this experience with others across ❚ Resources: improve the quality of and lab, and guidelines on how to make the labo- the campus,” said Craig Moody, director of access to safety resources, including the ratories safer places to conduct research. the DEHS. “The students involved in this standardization of laboratory signs, devel- “Safety Starts with U!” posters were created program should be very proud in knowing opment of safety websites, and PPE such and are strategically posted in the departments. they will have an impact on the health and as goggles, lab coats, and gloves; and safety of thousands of students and staff in the Other plans include conducting Safety Moments ❚ Education: improve the training and years to come.” at the start of all departmental seminars and ongoing education of laboratory safety group meetings; publishing Safety Notes in officers and researchers. the departments’ weekly email newsletters; The JST has developed a number of short- conducting the first-ever departmental term and long-term recommendations for cleanup week; writing, evaluating, and sharing improving safety practices. These recommen- laboratory-specific safe operating procedures; dations will act as a guidebook to improving and sending monthly emails on safety learning the safety culture at the university. experiences.

10 CHEM news December 2012 STUDENT honors & awards

Fellowships Scholarships Individual Awards 3M Science & Technology Fellowships— Auzins Scholarship—Srijay Rajan CRC Freshman Chemistry Achievement Clay Easterday, Audrey Meyer, Christopher Award—Sammy Shaker Andrews Scholarship—Dylan Walsh Roberts, Ivan Spector, and Stephen Tereniak Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship— Robert C. Brasted Memorial Fellowship— ConocoPhillips Fellowship—Zahra Sohrabpour Mark Strom Alexander Nicol Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships— J. Lewis Maynard Memorial Prize in Thomas DuBruil Memorial Award—Moriana Yuanyan Gu, Brynna Jones, Benjamin Advanced Inorganic Chemistry Award— Haj, Erin Hill, Megan Magee, Maximilian Manning, Audrey Meyer, Dawen Niu, Michelle Johnson Margherio, and Quang Luu Nguyen Nicholas Petkovich, and Bess Vlaisavljevich Merck Index Award—Dylan Walsh and Lloyd W. Goerke Scholarship—Adam Matula Lester C. and Joan M. Krogh Endowed Peter Stevens Fellowship David A. and Merece H. Johnson Scholar- —Christopher Huber Undergraduate Award in Analytical ship—Sam Kenny and Mark Strom Kenneth E. & Marion S. Owens Endowed Chemistry (ACS)—Jason Brennan Fellowship George T. Walker Scholarship—Hanna Erickson —William Isley III Wayland E. Noland Award for Academic and Takanori Sagawa National Science Foundation Graduate Excellence in Chemistry—Jua Choi Student Fellowships—Spencer Knight, Julian Lo, and Randall Siedschlag Wayland E. Noland Fellowship— Mohammad Mohsen Mahmoodi Dr. Venkateswarlu Pothapragada and Family Graduate Fellowship Fund—Mayank Puri Newman and Lillian Bortnick Fellowship— Jennifer Soltis John Wertz Fellowship—Benjamin Wilson

Recipients of the Thomas DuBruil Memorial Award were, from left, Maximillan Margherio, Moriana Haj, Megan Megee, Erin Hill, and Quang Luu Nguyen.

Videos to enhance learning in organic laboratory course Professor Jane Wissinger, organic lab director, received a $10,000 Ofﬁce use. Wissinger said that there are about 15 techniques, eight apparatus, of Information Technology (OIT) Faculty Fellowship. She will use this and four instrument data interpretations taught throughout the semester- fellowship to develop a series of videos encompassing apparatus, long course. Each video will include step-by-step details, hints, and observations, and problem-solving skills for her organic laboratory course. suggestions. The videos will be posted on the web and easily accessible The videos will augment Wissinger’s lectures, and reinforce proper to students. They also will be used to train teaching assistants. experiment and laboratory techniques, and equipment and chemical

www.chem.umn.edu 11 Major grants fund important research and development of multi-institutional centers

Research is at the center of what the Department of Chemistry does, generating new knowledge and teaching students. Researchers in the department address a variety of health, environment, energy, and next-generation technology issues. Each year, faculty members bring in millions of research dollars to the university to support their research. In 2011, the department had more than $17.5 million in active research grants.

Collaborative projects are more important than ever for addressing some of the most challenging scientific problems, which are often uniquely interdisciplinary and multifac- eted. A number of major grants received by chemistry faculty during 2011-2012 fund collaborative work with other researchers at the university and across the country. These grants provide critical funding in support of the department’s postdoctorate researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students. They also support the broader education of members of society about the importance of the research. “Large multi-investigator grants play an ever increasing role in academic research,” said William Tolman, department chair. “They are critical for tackling wide-ranging problems that cross traditional scientific boundaries, and they enable creative instructional initiatives Christopher J. Cramer and Laura Gagliardi to be pursued. Our success in garnering such support speaks to the outstanding leadership of our faculty in directing cutting-edge greenhouse gases and improving chemical The Nanoporous Materials Genome Center research and developing new educational processes as well as developing methods and will be funded with $8.1 million over five programs,” he said. software tools for increasing the efficiency of years as a DOE Center for Materials or solar energy conversion. Chemical Science Software Innovation. The center will develop and use high-end compu- $13.1 million in Department of Both of these grants were competitive with tational tools to characterize and predict the Energy funding for two new many other institutions submitting propos- performance of millions of advanced materials nationwide centers als and only a handful chosen for each, said at the nano scale. These new materials have chemistry professors Laura Gagliardi and The University of Minnesota has been award- many potential applications related to energy, Christopher J. Cramer, who lead the univer- ed two grants from the U.S. Department of including the capture of greenhouse gases, sity’s two new centers. “It’s rare to have two Energy (DOE) totaling $13.1 million over such as CO , and the storage of hydrogen. In major DOE initiatives at the same institution, 2 the next five years to fund two nationwide addition, the group aims to improve catalysis but the proposal reviews indicate that we were centers headquartered in the Department of and advanced chemical separations used in chosen because of our excellent researchers Chemistry. environmental research, as well those used and the University’s Minnesota Supercomput- in petroleum and biofuels processes to make Research within the two centers will include ing Institute, which provides state-of-the-art them more efficient and environment-friendly. developing new materials related to capturing computing facilities,” Gagliardi said.

12 CHEM news December 2012 The Nanoporous Materials Genome Center will Center for Sustainable Polymers bination of controlled polymer synthesis be based at the University of Minnesota and techniques. These materials have shown The Center for Sustainable Polymers (CSP) is include researchers from six other institutions outstanding mechanical performance. focused on harnessing renewable, functional, including the University of California, Berkeley; degradable, and non-toxic ingredients from This year, the CSP funded two seed proj- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; nature for tomorrow’s advanced plastics, ects. Professors Kechun Zhang and Yiannis Washington State University; Rice University; foams, adhesives, elastomers, Georgia Tech; and Northwestern University. coatings, and other macro- Gagliardi will serve as this center’s director. molecular materials. “It’s wonderful opportunity for us to collabo- The CSP was launched in rate with our colleagues nationwide to make 2009 with seed funds from significant contributions in important areas of the University’s Initiative environmental research,” Gagliardi said. for Renewable Energy & The Center for the Study of Charge Transfer the Environment large- and Charge Transport in Photoactivated grant program. Last year, Systems is funded by a $5 million grant over the CSP received a phase five years through the DOE Scientific Discov- I, $1.5 million, three-year ery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) grant from the National initiative. Researchers will develop methods, Science Foundation Center algorithms, and improve software tools needed for Chemical Innovation for the reliable modeling of charge transfer (CCI) program. The CSP is and charge transport in photoactivated sys- now eligible for a phase II tems. Such processes are fundamental for solar grant that could provide up Professor Marc Hillmyer energy capture, solar energy conversion, and to $40 million over 10 years. photoactivated catalysis, both industrial and Professor Marc Hillmyer is biological. Cramer will serve as center director. the center’s director. Kaznessis from the Department of Chemical Research partners include Pacific Northwest In addition to its focus on sustainable poly- Engineering and Materials Science are engi- National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley meric materials, the CSP fosters partnerships neering microbes that synthesize renewable and National Laboratory. with industry leaders, and develops outreach cost-effective methyl-substituted lactones from “The computational chemistry group at the activities designed to educate future scientists glucose. Professor Claudia Schmidt-Dannert University of Minnesota is world-class, with and the public about the science and technol- from the Department of Biochemistry, Molecu- an outstanding record of accomplishments,” ogy of sustainability. lar Biology and Biophysics, and Professor Mark said Tolman. “Their expertise in theory devel- CSP researchers have made bold scientific Distefano from the Department of Chemistry opment and applications is second to none, advances in the areas of catalysis, plastics and hope to develop a microbial and biacatalytic in putting them in a great position to make elastomers, and polyols, including: vitro production system for rubber. significant research progress on the critical ❚ Developing several new renewable polyes- The CSP is engaged in a number of outreach problems targeted by the DOE center grant ter and polyether polyols for thermoplastic activities, including: proposals.” and thermosetting polyurethanes. These ❚ Training high school teachers from Min- In addition to Gagliardi and Cramer, other new polyurethane structures are possible nesota, New York, and Georgia on a new participating University of Minnesota faculty replacements for petroleum-based systems laboratory experiment in which students members involved in the centers include and products, ranging from elastomers to make bioplastic from starch (potato, tapio- chemistry professors Donald G. Truhlar and adhesives. ca, or corn), add an additive to manipulate J. Ilja Siepmann, and chemical engineering ❚ Discovering a simple and efficient method the plastic’s properties (glycerol or sugar) and materials science professor Michael for the conversion of carboxylic acid con- and then test those properties. Tsapatsis. Cramer, Gagliardi, Siepmann, and taining molecules derived from biomass ❚ Working with the Center for Science, Truhlar are members of the department’s into olefins through a catalytic decarbon- Technology, and Public Policy (CSTPP), Chemical Theory Center. ylation process. LifeScience Alley, and the BioBusiness ❚ Discovering and developing new renew- Alliance of Minnesota to sponsor site visits able thermoplastic elastomers using a com- to biochemical companies such as Nature-

continued on page 16

www.chem.umn.edu 13 FACULTY & STAFF AWARDS awards

Professor Haynes named one Two professors receive CAREER awards Two assistant professors—Christopher of Popular Science’s ‘Brilliant 10’ Douglas and Valerie Pierre—have received CAREER awards from the National Sci- Professor Christy Haynes has been named one of Popular Science mag- ence Foundation (NSF). The Faculty Early azine’s “Brilliant 10,” an honor that recognizes an elite group of young Career Development (CAREER) Program scientists whose research is expected to dramatically impact their fields. is one of the NSF’s most prestigious awards. Haynes has been working with her research group to study blood plate- It supports junior faculty who exemplify the lets. Platelets are small, irregularly shaped cell fragments that circulate in role of teacher-scholars through outstanding the blood and are an essential component of blood clotting. Platelets are research, excellent education, and the inte- about one-tenth the size of average cells in mammals. They have proven gration of education and research within the difficult to study due to their small size and their biological function to context of the mission of their organizations. react immediately when in a foreign environment. Professor Christy Haynes Douglas’ research encompasses discovering “Platelets are really ‘sticky’ types of cells because they are used in clotting new chemical synthesis methods involving so it makes them difficult to study,” Haynes said. the metal-promoted activation of carbon Haynes and her team are the only researchers in the world who have been able to measure sigma bonds in ketones, esters, and aldehydes. chemicals being released by individual platelets in real time. They were the first to successfully A major focus will be on the insertion of isolate an individual platelet under a microscope, place a minuscule electrode onto it, and unsaturated groups into the activated bonds. measure the messenger molecules released. Mechanistic work will be undertaken to develop a deeper understanding of the new Understanding how platelets communicate with each other gives researchers fundamental knowl- reactivity develop. The methods developed edge that they never had before. This could lead to new treatments for patients who have difficul- will be applied to a diverse set of synthesis ty with blood clotting or developing medications to help patients avoid dangerous blood clots. challenges. Applications will range from the Haynes is already collaborating with renowned platelet specialists nationwide to look at plate- synthesis of commodity chemical feedstocks let samples and conduct initial lab testing for possible anti-clotting medicines. like methyl ethyl ketone to the synthesis of complex natural products. “Being chosen as one of Popular Science’s Brilliant 10 brings new recognition to the graduate students on my research team and my fellow researchers to show that there is big science and Pierre’s research focuses on luminescent lan- big thinking going on here at the University of Minnesota,” Haynes said. thanide probes for biological imaging of metal ions. This approach employs the coordination of Haynes and her colleagues recently formed the Center for Analysis of Biomolecular Signalling chemistry and the unique photophysical proper- within the University of Minnesota Department of Chemistry. The research will be focused ties of lanthanide complexes as components in a on learning more about how cells in the body send chemical signals to each other during predictive design strategy in the development of immune response, blood clotting, muscle firing and more. new sensors for group I ions, and the applica- In addition to studying platelets, Haynes has been building “an immune system on a chip,” tion of these sensors in cellular imaging. The where she is isolating and studying the various way cells communicate and respond to each ultimate goal is to produce new tools enabling other. With more information about how immune cells interact, she helps to open new ave- the simultaneous and selective spatio-temporal nues for treating allergic reactions and asthma. imaging of multiple alkali cations in tissues. This Haynes’ profile was published, Tuesday, September 11, on the PopSci website and was fea- work advances the field of lanthanide chemistry tured in the Popular Science magazine. by investigating the electronic and geometric requirements of their sensitized luminescence, and the field of molecular recognition by investigating novel binding modes. Stanley Bonnema Stanley Bonnema, retired senior administrative director, received a 2012 President’s Three chemistry researchers Award for Outstanding Service. This prestigious award honors current and retired em- honored for their inventions ployees who have gone well beyond their regular duties and who have demonstrated Three professors—George Barany, Philippe unusual commitment to the university community. Bonnema served as the senior ad- Buhlmann, and Marc Hillmyer—were ministrative director for the Department of Chemistry for 31 years before his retirement honored at the University Innovations 2012 in June 2009. Before that, he was senior lab service coordinator and chemistry labora- celebration event. Sponsored by the Office tory supervisor for eight years. of the Vice President for Research, Univer-

14 CHEM news December 2012 sity Innovations 2012 honored researchers Alden Mead whose work has been patented, licensed to a Professor Emeritus C. Alden Mead won the company, or used to form a start-up company. 2012 Wigner Medal. Mead was honored for his Timothy Lodge Barany was honored for his patent, Detection work on the gauge theory of molecules and its Professor Timothy Lodge received the of Nucleic Acid Sequence Differences Using the application to molecular spectra and scattering. 2011-12 Postbaccalaureate, Graduate, and Ligase Detection Reaction with Addressable He was a professor of physical chemistry in the Professional Education Award. He was one Arrays. Buhlmann was honored for his license, Department of Chemistry from 1958 to 1993. of eight professors from throughout the en- Chemical Sensors Based on Fluorous Sensing The Group Theory and Fundamental Physics tire university system to receive this award. Membranes. Hillmyer was honored for his Foundation established the Wigner Medal in This prestigious award recognizes faculty license, Fabrication of Robust Nanoporous Poly- 1977, honoring scientists for their outstanding mer Films with Cocontinuous Structures. members for excellence in instruction; contributions to the understanding of physics instructional program development; intel- Christy Haynes through group theory. lectual distinction; advising and mentoring; and involvement of students in research, Professor Christy Haynes has been awarded Theresa Reineke scholarship, and professional development. the New Orleans Kavli Foundation Emerging Professor Theresa Reineke received a 2012 Leader in Chemistry Lecture by the American The Department of Chemistry now has six Outstanding New Investigators Award from Chemical Society Multidisciplinary Program professors who have been honored with the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy Planning Group. As recipient of this award, the Postbaccalaureate, Graduate, and (ASGCT). Reineke was honored for her con- Haynes will deliver a lecture on her research Professional Education Award. In addition tributions to the field of gene and cell therapy. to Lodge, they include Peter Carr, Chris- during the ACS National Meeting in New She is one of four scientists who earned this topher Cramer, Thomas Hoye, Lawrence Orleans in April 2013. Her lecture will focus achievement this year. With expertise in poly- Que Jr., and Ilja Siepmann. on biological and ecological toxicity in engi- mer science and gene therapy and diagnostics, neered nanomaterials. Reineke is a world leader in the area of poly- Lodge also received the 2012 Minnesota Haynes is an emerging leader in the areas of mer/deoxyribonucleic acid nanostructures for Award of the Minnesota Section of the nanoparticle toxicity and nanotherapeutics. medical applications. The Reineke research American Chemical Society (ACS). This She has pioneered the technique of carbon- group specializes in the synthetic design, award, which is given every three years, fiber microelectrode amperometry to study chemical characterization, and biological honors a section member for outstanding the effect of nanoparticle uptake on cellular study of novel macromolecules. contributions to the chemical sciences. Lodge was honored for his scientific physiology. Reineke also received the Macro 2012 Lecture achievements in polymer science re- Award from the American Chemical Society search. He has an international reputation Marc Hillmyer Division on Polymeric Materials: Science and as a leading researcher in understanding Professor Marc Hillmyer was named a 2012 Engineering. In June, Reineke presented a lec- Poly Fellow of the American Chemical Society’s ture, Core-Shell Carbohydrate Block Copolymers and controlling nano- and micro-struc- Division of Polymer Chemistry, Inc. Fellows Designed for the Delivery of Drugs and Nucleic tures that result from combining dissimilar are nominated by their peers, and are honored Acids, at the International Union of Pure and polymer materials in new ways. for their outstanding achievements and contri- Applied Chemistry World Polymer Congress. Lodge is one of the Department of Chem- butions to polymer science and the profession. istry’s most distinguished professors and researchers. He is director of the Univer- Hillmyer teaches polymer, materials, organic, Ilja Siepmann physical, and environmental chemistry. His J. Ilja Siepmann was appointed as Merck sity of Minnesota’s Materials Research research interests encompass the design, syn- Professor of Chemistry for a five-year term. This Science and Engineering Center, which thesis, and applications of functional polymer- is one of five departmental professorships supports interdisciplinary and multidisci- ic materials, particularly polymers made from that recognize and reward the Department plinary materials research and education. renewable resources, and the use of block of Chemistry’s most distinguished faculty. He is editor of the ACS journal Macromol- polymers to prepare nanoporous materials for Siepmann is vice chair of the Department of ecules, and the recently launched ACS applications in water purification, advanced Chemistry and director of graduate studies for Macro Letters. lithography, and solar energy conversion. He chemical physics. He has an outstanding record Previous winners of this award include is director of the university’s Center for Sus- of research accomplishments and service to the current Department of Chemistry tainable Polymers, which integrates science, department. Siepmann is one of two Merck professors Wayland Noland and technology, and public policy initiatives and professors in the Department of Chemistry. Donald Truhlar, and former faculty research aimed at reducing dependence on Thomas Hoye is the other Merck professor. Robert Brasted, Paul Gassman, Izaak petrochemicals for the creation of plastics. Kolthoff, and Edward Leete. continued on page 17

www.chem.umn.edu 15 Grants fund important research continued from page 13

works, BioAmber, Reluceo and Segetis for Center for Sustainable director is Professor Robert Hamers from the state officials, and following those visits up Nanotechnology University of Wisconsin-Madison. with a public policy roundtable. Chemistry Professor Christy Haynes is All graduate students participating in the ❚ Partnering with the CSTPP and the bringing her expertise in nanotoxicology to a CSN research will experience a unique collab- Minneapolis College of Art and Design new multi-institutional center, the Center for orative environment with frequent interaction (MCAD) to offer a unique outreach Sustainable Nanotechnology (CSN), which between the various institutions, short stays program to middle school students. The has been created with a $1.75 million grant in collaborative labs, new public outreach students met with CSP graduate students over three years from the National Science opportunities, and explicit training in novel to learn about the sustainability loop and Foundation (NSF) Centers for Chemical scientific idea generation. polymeric materials, and then worked Innovation (CCI) program. Like the Center for Sustainable Polymers, the with MCAD undergraduate designers to Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology may design posters, logos, and other materi- researchers are investigating how nanoparti- be eligible for even more funding through NSF als designed to engage students in green cles interact with living, ecological systems. Centers for Chemical Innovation phase II grants chemistry. Nanoparticles, which are finely divided mat- that provide up to $40 million over 10 years. In addition to Hillmyer, faculty participants ter, play important roles in many existing and in the CSP include Thomas Hoye, William emerging technologies, including new medical Heat Shields for Hypersonic Tolman and Theresa Reineke from the De- diagnostics and targeted treatments for cancer Vehicles partment of Chemistry, Frank Bates and Chris and other diseases, fuel cells and advanced Professor Donald Truhlar is co-principal inves- Macosko from the Department of Chemical batteries for hybrid/electric vehicles, and new tigator of a $1.704 million grant from the Air Engineering and Materials Science, Steve generation solar cells that have the potential to Force Office of Scientific Research, conduct- Kelley from the CSTPP, and Geoffrey Coates provide free energy from the sun. from Cornell University. ing research critical to the development of In many applications, nanoparticles are used new heat shields for hypersonic vehicles. The because only a small amount of material is other investigator for the three-year grant is needed, and they exhibit some unique chem- Assistant Professor Thomas Schwartzentruber ical and physical properties because of their from the Department of Aerospace Engineer- small size, containing anywhere from 10 to ing & Mechanics. 10,000 atoms. “Through this research, we seek to understand On the downside, relatively little is known the fundamental mechanisms by which energy about how nanoparticles interact with living (heat) is transferred to the surface of hyperson- organisms or the impact of the unintentional ic vehicles,” said Truhlar. He is a world leader release of nanoparticles from consumer or in the theoretical and computational methods industrial products on the environment. CSN that describe the potentials and dynamics of researchers want to reduce adverse biological molecule-to-molecule and molecule-to-surface and environmental impacts by understanding, collisions. predicting, and controlling specific chemical He explained that new concepts for hyperson- and physical interactions between nanoma- ic Air Force vehicles flying faster than Mach 5 terials and biological systems. The Haynes will induce extreme heating conditions requir- research group will focus specifically on the in- ing new heat shield designs. The air in front of teraction between nanoparticles and beneficial the vehicle gets so hot that air molecules break bacteria, a critical component of the food web. into atoms. These atoms can diffuse through The CSN brings together the expertise of the boundary layer and exothermically react researchers from six different institutions. with the heat shield surface, depositing signifi- In addition to the University of Minnesota, cant energy to the vehicle. The long-term goal this partnership includes the University of is to understand these gas-surface reactions Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Wis- at the molecular level so that new materials consin-Milwaukee, Northwestern University, can be tailored to control the energy transfer Professor Christy Haynes the University of Illinois, and the Pacific between a high temperature gas and the heat Northwest National Laboratory. The center’s shield surface.

16 CHEM news December 2012 FACULTY & STAFF AWARDS awards

Awards continued from page 15

William Tolman Professor William Tolman, Department of Chemistry chair, received the 2012 Charles E. Bowers Faculty Teaching Award from the College of Science & Engineering. This award honors outstanding professors who have demonstrated exceptional interest and commitment to the teaching of students in the college. Tolman is an award-winning professor and scientist. His contributions to classroom teaching have been extensive. As chair of the department, Tolman works with faculty members on new education initiatives such as the development of the department’s ﬁrst online chemistry course, the transformation of labs into guided-inquiry learning experiences, and infusing green chemistry into courses, laboratories, and research. In his research laboratory, Tolman exposes students and post-doctorates to forefront research in synthetic bioinorganic and polymer chemistry. He will become editor-in-chief of Inorganic Chemistry in January 2013. Donald Truhlar Regents Professor Donald Truhlar received the 2012 Faraday Division Chemical Dynamics Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry. This award honors scientists for their outstanding innovative research on the dynamics of molecules, including spectroscopy, kinetics, or molecular interactions in the gas, liquid, or solid phase. Truhlar is one of the top physical chemists in the world. Some of his outstanding research areas include his work on varia-

Professor Donald Truhlar tional transition state theory; quantum mechanical scattering theory for reaction dynamics; spectroscopy of the transition state; and potential energy surfaces. Truhlar is one of the University of Minnesota Department of Chemistry’s most distin- It has been observed experimentally that oxy- guished professors and researchers. He has written more than 900 journal articles and 80 gen atoms can recombine on silica-based heat book chapters, and has edited or co-edited 13 books. He has taught numerous graduate and shields to form oxygen molecules in electron- undergraduate courses, and has mentored 144 graduate students and postdoctoral associates ically excited states, Truhlar said. Such states and 70 undergraduate research students. He serves as an associate editor for the Journal are long-lived in the gas phase and may serve of the American Chemical Society and editor of Computer Physics Communications, and is a to lock-up significant energy, which is carried member of many national and international scientific organizations. away from the vehicle and thus not transmit- ted to the surface. An experimental setup will be designed and definitive experimental evaluation of the pro- Professor Driessen featured in duction of excited oxygen molecules resulting from oxygen-atom surface recombination University of Minnesota eBook will be performed at SRI International’s laboratory in Menlo Park, CA. Truhlar’s research Professor Michelle Driessen, general chemistry director, is featured in a Univer- group will investigate oxygen-silica reactions sity of Minnesota ebook. The ebook combines technology and crowdsourcing to with electronic excitation. Schwartzentru- share examples of successful classroom technology use across colleges, disciplines, ber’s group will provide the modeling link and campuses. between quantum chemistry and experiment Driessen’s chapter in the ebook is in the “Changing Pedagogies” section where using large-scale stochastic particle simula- contributors discuss how to move teaching beyond memorization of facts toward tions of the full experimental environment. interactive coaching and problem solving. She wrote about the role of technology The objective is to fully explain this gas-sur- in the transformation of the Department of Chemistry’s general chemistry labs. face reaction phenomenon at the most fun- The free ebook is available at http://purl.umn.edu/125273, or at iTunes U, damental level with the potential to impact Google, and Amazon. It is designed for an iPad, Kindle, Nook, or other tablets, future heat shield design and capability for but also can be viewed on computers or with web browsers. high-speed vehicles.

www.chem.umn.edu 17 2011-2012 Donors

The Department of Chemistry thanks the many generous alumni, faculty, and friends listed below for their donations to support the department in ﬁscal year 2011-12. These gifts are vitally important because they beneﬁt our talented undergraduate and graduate students, support our renowned faculty, and enhance our incredible academic program. We are grateful for your support.

Individual and Family Anello J. D’Ambra Francis J. & Theresa B. Haddy Bertha A. Lewis Estate Darwin D. & Dorothy D. Davis Mark D. Hadler Wu-Shyong Li Foundation Donors Charles A. Daws Joyce B. & Timothy J. Hall Kyle J. Lindstrom Timothy W. Abraham Jonathan W. & Sharon A. DeVries Charles M. & Linda C. Hall Yu-Ying Liu Gary Ahlgren Donald S. Debelak David A. Halsrud Bryan E. Lloyd Carl J. Almer Paul A. Deck Philip D. Hammen Richard R. & Mary Kay Lockwood Mariquita A. Accibal Scott E. Deitz Charles F. & Lois R. Hammer Robert G. Lockwood Mark R. Anderson Rodney D. Dekruif Paul R. Hanson & Yu Mi Ahn Connie C. Lu David K. & Mary Claire Ashpole Robert & Jill DeMaster Willard A. Hareland Donald H. & Karen D. Lucast Madolyn Youse Babcock & Edmund P. Richard J. Dirlam Megan Harper Gunda & Gerold Luss Babcock Karen D. Donnelly Ieva O. & George E. Hartwell Zhiliu Ma Jerold O. & Donna M. Bahls Daniel H. Doughty Henry A. Havel & Mary P. Stickelmeyer Brian T. Mader John J. & Ann M. Baldwin Charles H. Douglass Jr. Robert J. Heinen Andrew S. Magee Francis & Rachel Barany Charlotte R. & A. Arthur Drenckhahn Walden L. Heino Ryan C. & Rachel J. Major George & Barbara Barany Wesley A. Dybedahl Andrew L. Helm Joel G. & Jean M. Malmberg Joan & William Barber John H. Dygos Robert A. Hendricks Douglas Mandy Jonathan L. & Leslie R. Bass Alison A. Eckhoff & Mark Sannes Steven G. Hentges Steven C. & Beth March Robert L. Batdorf David W. Edelstein Kurt C. Hermann Curtis & Susan Marcott Robert D. Berg Barbara & John Edgar - Edgar Family Jonathan G. Holcomb James J. & Joan M. Markham David W. Blackburn Foundation-Raymond James Charita- Howard E. Holmquist Deanna Carlson Martin Frank D. Blum ble Endowment Foundation Peter A. & Gladys L. Howell Albert S. Matlack John V. Botscheller David I. Eikens Rebecca & Thomas Hoye Bruce M. Mattson Kyle J. Bottorff William H. & Jean R. Engelmann Craig A. Hoyme Terri L McLernon Christopher R. Boyer Jerimy R. Erickson Marcy & Li-Chung Huang Donald S. McClure & Laura L. Thompson William & Carolyn Brauer Thomas J. Evensen John W. Hull Jr. & Laurie B. Hull Sean P. McGeehan Brian M. Breczinski Jurgen H. & Mary M. Exner Paul E. Humpal Shannon M. McGofﬁn & Jason B. Paul D. Brey Christopher C. Felix Thomas J. Hunter Krogman Ann C. Brey Paul J. Fischer Steven E. Husebye Mark P. Mehn Laurie Ellen & Chad B. Breyfogle Douglas E. & Kristi A. Fjare David Hyun George J. Meisters Thomas B. Brill Steven R. Flom Gary G. Irish Joseph F. Merklin Virginia R. Bryan James & Catherine Foster Henry & Sharron Isaacson John & Carol Meyer James E. Burcsu John E. Franz Charles F. Jackels Jr. Nancy K. Mizuno Manjula R. Canagaratna Robert W. Freerksen James A. Jensen & Laura M. Babcock Anne M. Mockovak Dana Carlson John B. Friesen Melody E. Jewell Robert F. & Siv C. Modler Andrew J. Caruso Dali Gao & Yanfen Guan Eugene C. Johnsen Erich J. & Jacqueline Molitor Joel C. Case Gerda Ann Gassman Patrick L. & Mary Jo Johnson Mary H. Murai Daniel & Grace Chang W. Ronald Gentry Russell W. Johnson Craig B. & Pamela W. Murchison Miran K. Chantooni Jr. Terry J. & Norma J. Gilbertson Roy A. & Jian L. Johnson Mark D. Nachbor Li-Pen Chao Anthony C. Gilby Kenneth E. Johnson & Sally J. Starz Richard & Kathleen Newell Jon N. & Janice H. Chasman Lloyd W. & Ann E. Goerke Harriett H. Johnson John G. Newman Yu Sen Chen David J.W. Goon Darek Johnson Lawrence A. Nielsen Sze-Foo & Chiu-Ying Chien Thomas G. Goplen Thomas H. Jones Wayland E. Noland - Wayland E. Noland Clayton G. & M. Jean Christensen Ladd K. Gorman Venkataraman Kameswaran Foundation Chin Chu Robert W. Grady Joseph M. Kanamueller Karl C. Ochs II Henry B. & Evelyn A. Clark III Robert L. Graham Brant L. Kedrowski Peter C. & Jean A. Olson Robert E. Coffman Robert & Ellie Grande Dennis P. Kerber Kurt Olson Michael & Mary Collins Glenda Greene Jacob P. Kilian Oliver Ossanna Jr. & Lana Ossanna Arthur Coury - Coury/Howie Family Gregory S. & Carol J. Gross Bill B. Knopke Dean A. & Dorothy C. Ostlie Fund-Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Paul & Patricia Guehler Darci L. Knowlton Marion S. Owens Berkeley W. Cue Jr. Glen C. Gullickson Rebecca A. & Nathan E. Knutson George W. Parshall & Anna M. Buhl Frank A. Cutler Jr. William H. & Elizabeth N. Gumprecht Kenneth E. Kosel Richard L. & Linda G. Parton Roger H. Kottke Beverly A. Pawson Lester C. & Joan M. Krogh Steven W. Petersen Kenneth Kustin Sheri L. Peterson For more information about making a gift or for assistance, please Richard J. & Mary M. Kvitek Douglas A. Peterson contact Kathy Peters-Martell, external relations ofﬁcer for the Kyonghae Kwon & Choong-Y Rhee Sheri H. Peterson Department of Chemistry, at [email protected] or 612-626-8282. Gary W. Y. & Christine A. Kwong Barbara J. & Robert L. Peterson Clayton L. Lance James R. & Kirsten R. Peterson You can also make a gift through the Department of Chemistry’s Mary E. Learmont & Steven C. Riemer James A. Phillips website at http://www.chem.umn.edu/giving/. Melinda J. & Steven H. C. Lee Richard & Patricia Pieper Richard J. Legare Jeanne Pimentel Yenyoung Lei & Chuanbin Pan Ronald L. Plante

18 CHEM news December 2012 Joseph Porwoll - Joseph Porwoll Fund- James R. Vyvyan Schwab Charitable Fund James J. & Elizabeth R. Wade James H. & Elberta L. Prestegard Terence C. Wagenknecht Michael J. Prokosch Edward A. Walters Donations help attract the Makenzie R. Provorse Bo Wang Richard J. Puhl Yingjie Wang Emily Lauren Que Joseph & Carolyn Warden best and the brightest Stanton F. Rak Edward O. Welke By Kathy Peters-Martell Prabhakara & Saila S. Rao Peter J. Wepplo Thomas B. Reddy Florence C. Wertz Another great school year is well underway. At the risk of Gretchen Rehberg Edward L. Wheeler Lucinda Reichley-Yinger Alice A. White repeating previous reports, our students continue to astound Yu Ren & Yun Mao Theodore Wilczek Jr. us with their talents, intellect, and enthusiasm. Once again, Matthew K. & Kimberly A. Renner Stephen T. Wild the College of Science & Engineering incoming undergraduate Michael A. & Patricia Rethwill Kin-Yiu Wong class had the highest ACT score in the university. And we are Martin P. & Mary K. Rigney Ellen & Hoseah Wu Jeffrey T. Roberts Anthony F. & Agnes E. Yapel recruiting and training the most promising graduate students Joan L. & Donald N. Robinson Yiyun Yu who are vital to the success of the groundbreaking research going Debra J. M. & Thomas S. Robison Thomas Yue & Phylllis Novitskie on in the Department of Chemistry. Many of these students are Kevin J. Rosenquist Lee R. & Susan D. Hovland Zehner Wayne J. & Ruth Rothschild Ivan C. Zenker fortunate to be scholarship and fellowship recipients thanks to Paul S. Russo Richard T. Zera the donations of our generous alumni and friends. Mark & Nancy Rustad Ling Zhang Catherine E. Ryan Hongyu Zhao We are grateful for the many ways our alumni support the Lowell E. Salyards Eve G Zoebisch Department of Chemistry: providing countless volunteer hours, Gary L. & Marilyn J. Santee establishing scholarships and fellowships to support our students, Richard F. Sauers Corporate Donors and donating financial resources to enhance the academic Rebecca & Rahul Saxena 3M Foundation Incorporated Jason E. Schaff Abbott Laboratories program. With your support, we will continue to attract the Larry L. Schaleger Abbott Laboratories Fund best and brightest students and retain world-renowned faculty Zackary J. Schmidt Agilent Technologies Foundation to maintain the excellence of the Department of Chemistry. D. James & Ann M. Schreck American Chemical Society Joseph & Karen Schroeder BASF SE When you get a letter or a call from one of our students asking John Schrom Bayer Corporation Karen A. Schultz Cargill Incorporated for your support, please consider doing so. Your support is John L. Schultz Chevron Corporation instrumental to the department and our students. If you have Richard M. Scribner Community Shares of Minnesota questions or need assistance in making a gift to the department, John K. Seaburg ConocoPhillips Company please contact Kathy Peters-Martell, external relations officer Scott Searles Jr. The Dow Chemical Company Foun- Lynne & Thomas Sergi dation for the Department of Chemistry, at [email protected] or Hing L. Sham E I DuPont De Nemours & Company 612-626-8282. John L. & Doris M. Sheard Ecolab Industry Foundation Lijin Shu Eli Lilly & Company Foundation Steven R. Skorich ExxonMobil Foundation Tyler M. Stack GE Foundation Robert A. Stavenger General Mills Foundation Conference room dedication honors Thomas G. Stavros IBM International Foundation Joe C. Steelhammer Kimberly-Clark Corporation legacy of renowned scientists Mark & Kathleen Steine Medtronic Foundation Avery W. Stephens The Merck Company Foundation The Kate and Michael Bárány Conference Room (117/119 Smith Hall) Robert E. & Debra R. Stevens NatureWorks LLC was dedicated in July. The remodeled conference room was a gift to the Roger W. & Mary Ann Strassburg Pfizer Foundation Department of Chemistry from George Barany, a Distinguished McKnight Melvin P. Stulberg The Pharmacia Foundation Incorpo- Professor in the Department of Chemistry, and Francis Barany, a professor David P. Suby rated Elise A. Sudbeck Procter & Gamble Company of microbiology and immunology at the Weill Cornell Medical Center Richard J. Sundberg Reluceo Incorporated in New York, and their families. The room honors the legacy of Kate Victor Sussman St. Jude Medical Incorporated and Michael Bárány (George and Francis’ parents): Holocaust survivors; Lynn A. & Carol R. Swanson Sheriff’s Support Group of Altadena Wrenda M. Teeple Sigma-Aldrich Corporation internationally renowned researchers in muscle biochemistry, biophysics, Donald R. & Colleen M. 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Tolman named editor-in-chief of Inorganic Chemistry Professor William Tolman, chair of the Department of Chemistry, has been named editor-in-chief of Inorganic Chemistry, effective January 2013. He has been associate editor of this American Chemical Society publication since 2007.

Tolman succeeds Professor Richard Eisenberg ratory Medicine and Pathology in the experimental and from the University of Rochester. He has College of Pharmacy, who will become theoretical reports on served as the journal’s editor since 2001. editor-in-chief of Chemical Research in quantitative studies Toxicology in January 2013; and of structure and The American Chemical Society (ACS) is the thermodynamics, kinetics, mechanisms of in- leading publisher of peer-reviewed research ❚ Timothy Lodge from the Department of organic reactions, bioinorganic chemistry, and journals in the chemical and related sciences. It Chemistry and Department of Chemical relevant aspects of organometallic chemistry, publishes 50 journals, and four of its edi- Engineering and Materials Science, and solid-state phenomena, and chemical bonding tor-in-chiefs are professors and leading research director of the Materials Research Science theory. Emphasis is placed on the synthesis, scientists at the University of Minnesota. and Engineering Center, who has been editor- structure, thermodynamics, reactivity, spec- in-chief of Macromolecules since 2001. In addition to Tolman, the other ACS edi- troscopy, and bonding properties of signiﬁcant tors-in-chief are: As editor-in-chief of Inorganic Chemistry, Tol- new and known compounds. man said that he hopes to continue improving ❚ Gunda Georg, head of the College of Inorganic Chemistry offers both full-length the quality of the journal, boosting the inter- Pharmacy’s Department of Medicinal articles and communications of immediate national character of its associate Chemistry and director of the college’s interest as well as invited award addresses, and editor ranks, and using social media to Institute of Therapeutics Discovery and has earned respect throughout the world for broaden the journal’s reach. Development, who has been editor-in-chief attracting and publishing outstanding research. of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry since Inorganic Chemistry publishes fundamental It also publishes up to three forum issues January 2012; studies in all phases of inorganic chemistry. annually, which consist of a set of thematically It is the leading journal on inorganic and ❚ Stephen Hecht from the Masonic Cancer linked papers from leading scientists on a mul- nuclear chemistry, number one in total cita- Center and the Department of Labo- tidisciplinary topic of growing interest. tions and impact factor. Its coverage includes