Kaitlyn LeBlanc, Sumaya Kabir, John Pojman, Sita Aggarwal

Watermelon seeds are highly nutritious, containing significant amounts of protein, B vitamins, and essential minerals such as magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, zinc, manganese, and copper, as well as healthy fats and phytochemicals. Watermelon seed oil is used in cooking and is incorporated into cosmetics. However, despite its nutritional value and wide-ranging applications, watermelon seeds are often discarded. Studies on the properties of watermelon seed powder and its effects are limited. In our study, we screened watermelon seed powder (WMSP) for the presence of alkaline phosphatase (ALP).

Hypothesis: Watermelon seed powder has alkaline phosphatase activity.

One of the biochemical enzymes ALP is important to maintain the bone homeostasis. Imbalance of bone homeostasis results in osteoporosis. ALP is crucial for maintaining the skeleton structure and bone mineralization. The membrane-bound form of ALP is the key enzyme required for mineralization, while the free form of ALP is associated with pathological conditions, such as breast and prostate cancer. Therefore, it is important to identify new plant extracts with alkaline phosphatase activity and investigating their potential effects.

Method: WMSP was prepared. WMSP suspension and WMSP supernatant tested for ALP activity.

Result: WMSP suspension has ALP activity and WMSP supernatant has no ALP activity.

Conclusion: WMSP has ALP activity, and it is membrane bound.

Alexandra Aucoin, Partick Bunton, Laurence Rongy, John Pojman

Coatings are essential for most materials, providing benefits such as protection, waterproofing, and corrosion resistance. Thin layer acrylate coatings are typically used in various applications due to their versatility, rapid curing rate, and ability to be applied in thin layers. Frontal polymerization (FP) of thin layer acrylates creates cure-on-demand coatings with long pot lives, which prevents the need for additional cure times, extensive mixing, and the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). FP is an innovative type of polymerization reaction that occurs in a localized, self-propagating manner in the form of a “front” that moves across the material. Once initiated, the front continues to propagate through the liquid monomer solution, leaving polymer in its wake. In frontal polymerization, fluid flows are primarily produced due to the significant temperature gradients generated by the rapidly propagating exothermic reaction front. This can significantly impact front dynamics, often distorting the front shape, altering front velocity, and inducing instabilities. Particle imaging is used to investigate fluid flows produced by FP in thin layer acrylate coatings. Particle imaging is a non-destructive imaging technique that uses fluorescent tracer particles which follow the fluid flow. Using this method allows for a better understanding of FP’s nonlinear dynamics in thin layer coating applications.

Udyogi Conthagamage

Rotaxane-based molecular actuators are effective tools in combating antibiotic resistance by transporting ions to depolarize and weaken bacterial membranes or by altering lipid packing to improve antibiotic entry and kill bacteria. To address this, we report two innovative rotaxanes that can transport anions and modulate lipid membranes. Our thiourea Rotaxane shows selective chloride transport in lipid bilayers with different fluidities, which is essential for enhancing its effectiveness in bacterial membranes. Moreover, by combining this rotaxane with arachidonic acid, which increases membrane fluidity in some bacteria, we eradicated Staphylococcus aureus, a deadly antibiotic-resistant pathogen. We successfully eradicated this bacterium in a medium with salinity 300 times lower than its inhibitory threshold. The second rotaxane features azobenzene photoswitches that reversibly isomerize between two forms, E and Z, under specific light. With excellent photoswitching and fatigue resistance, this rotaxane dramatically alters the lipid packing upon light exposure, enabling controlled cargo release. Moreover, E-isomer enriched vesicles show enhanced surface area and reduced membrane tension compared to the enrichment with Z-isomer. This also facilitates water accumulation in the membrane, increasing permeability. The sizes of these vesicles can be reversibly adjusted through light exposure. Therefore, these rotaxanes offer considerable promise in fighting antibacterial resistance

Thomas Junk, Itunu Olanrewaju, Lily Guidry, Tolga Karsili, Samantha Ponzo, Alanna Turner, Frank Fronczek

The nature of a ligand has a significant impact in driving chemical reactions, especially for an organotellurium compound. It determines the coordination sites of the tellurium compound and the stability of the entire reaction. It is, therefore, important to have adequate knowledge of the possible reaction pathways with specific ligands to minimize fruitless experimental efforts. This innovative study leverages the combined strengths of computational and experimental methodologies to unveil the complexities of ligand coordination and regioselective tellurium insertion reactions. By leveraging advanced quantum chemical calculations, we effectively predict reaction pathways, analyze potential energy surfaces (PES), and design customized ligands that significantly influence selectivity in these complex reactions. Experimental validation of these quantum chemical predictions confirms their accuracy. By identifying key intermediates and elucidating transition states, we highlight the impact of ligands on reaction dynamics. The implications of our findings extend across pharmaceuticals, materials science, and organic synthesis, opening new pathways for the development of targeted drugs, advanced materials, and efficient synthetic strategies. This integrated approach not only enriches our understanding of chemical mechanisms but also propels the advancement of more effective and streamlined chemical processes, setting a new a new benchmark for future research in the field.

John Pojman

The goal of cure-on-demand polymerization is to create one-pot systems that have a long shelf live but will react rapidly when curing is desired.  We use two approaches:  coupling polymerizations with clock reactions and an approach called frontal polymerization in which a localized reaction zone propagates from the coupling of thermal transport and the Arrhenius dependence of the reaction rate of an exothermic polymerization. We demonstrate that frontal polymerization can be used to create a cure-on-demand wood filler.  The filler has a months-to-years shelf life, is a one-pot formulation, can be applied leisurely and then cured rapidly with a flat heat source. We will explore the commercialization of “QuickCure Clay” for the arts and crafts market and QuickCure WoodFiller and consider how frontal polymerization can be used for additive manufacturing and coatings.  Finally, we will present a new coating system cured with ammonia generated by the urea-urease clock reaction.

Olha Pokhvata, Sviatoslav Baranets

The novel Zintl phase Eu14InAs11 was synthesized and structurally characterized. Its crystal structure was collected via the single crystal X-ray diffraction method, and it was shown that Eu14InAs11 crystallize in centrosymmetric space group I41/acd, No.142 (Z = 8, a = 16.2788(3)Å, c = 21.9488(6)Å). Eu14InAs11 adopts the known Ca14AlSb11 structure type, and it is a new compound in the arsenide 14-1-11 series. This tetragonal crystal structure consists of 14 cations of Eu2+, one linear unit of [As3]7-, [InAs4]9- tetrahedron, and four separate As3- anions. The structure is charge balanced based on the Zintl concept: Eu14InAs11 = (Eu2+)14(As3)7-(InAs4)9-(As3-)4. Magnetization measurements show Curie-Weiss paramagnetic behavior which can be explained by the presence of rare-earth metal in the structure. However, the anomaly can be observed at low temperature TN = 8.54(1), at which antiferromagnetic transition can be observed. Computational studies indicate narrow bandgap semiconducting behavior, with a bandgap of 0.62 eV.

Gayomi Samarakoon Mudiyanselage

Using a Lewis Acidic Ionic Liquid (LAIL) medium, [BMIm]Cl.4XCl3 (X=Al/Ga) (BMIm = 1-n-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium), five novel inorganic cluster compounds were synthesized at 180 °C. After the one pot reaction of MCl3 (M=Os/Ru), Bi, and BiCl3 in LAIL, [Os2Bi14Cl4][AlCl4]4, [Ru2Bi14Cl4][AlCl4]4, and [Os2Bi14Cl4][GaCl4]4 monoclinic P21/c clusters and  [Os2Bi14Cl2][AlCl4]6 and [Ru2Bi14Cl2][AlCl4]6 triclinic P1 ̅ were resulted. Single Crystal X-ray Diffraction (SCXRD) analysis reveals the approximate unit cell for the monoclinic structures as a ≈ 9.4183 (2) Å, b ≈ 17.5802 (5) Å, c ≈ 14.9998 (4) Å, and β ≈ 108.96 (01)˚, and for the triclinic structures as, a ≈ 10.0884 (4) Å, b ≈ 11.2497 (5) Å, c ≈ 14.5327 (6) Å, α ≈ 67.95(2)˚, β ≈ 73.67(1)˚, γ ≈ 69.51(2)˚. Both monoclinic and triclinic clusters were found in the same reaction conditions. Total energy calculations via TURBOMOLE program reveals that monoclinic cluster is having less energy than that triclinic one which discloses the monoclinic clusters are more stable than triclinic clusters. Also, electronic structure calculations via LMTO-ASA program urge semiconducting behavior of all the clusters with wide bandgap openings for all the clusters ranging from 1.17 eV and 1.46 eV. 

Darcey Wayment

This investigation was conducted to determine if residual elements from leaded gasoline, banned in 1996, are still found in the area, along with other metals from local chemical, petrochemical, and agricultural industries that may be detrimental to the environment. Samples of topsoil were collected from different areas around St. James Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, and St. Charles Parish.  The soil samples were analyzed for lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn). Samples were taken from the topsoil, using plastic spoons to prevent metal contamination. All organic matter was removed, and each sample was ground into a powder using mortar and pestles, dried in a laboratory oven, and weighed on an analytical balance to obtain ~2.0-gram samples. The samples were chemically digested with concentrated nitric acid and analyzed by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) emission. In general, the results revealed concentrations well below toxicity levels and indicated minor trends in several sections when going from west to east. One apparent trend is that areas near industry have lower concentrations of these elements than other areas. Other minor trends were found in specific sections within the data and are discussed in greater detail. The results using the two different instruments will be compared and contrasted, with regards to the samples and standards.

Malik Walker, Samantha Louis, Yuliet Martinez, Chukwumaobim Nwokwu

Conventional chemotherapeutics present problems like poor pharmacokinetic profile and toxicity to healthy tissues, hampering their clinical application. Liposomal formulations have shown great promise because of their biocompatibility, biodegradability, versatile drug-loading and targeted delivery potential. The putative anticancer compound, kaempferol was encapsulated in liposomes (Lip-K), and its apoptotic effects against human glioblastoma cells (LN-229) and healthy human astrocytes were investigated. HPLC analysis confirmed a 56% encapsulation efficiency for the liposomal suspension, with a zeta potential –15.32±0.83 mV and an average particle size of 200.44±12.22 nm (PDI = 0.29±0.06) determined by DLS. Cell survival rates measured by MTT assay showed that Lip-K demonstrated significantly (p<0.05) higher anti-proliferative (lower IC50) activities against LN-229 than free kaempferol and an apoptosis-inducing positive control, puromycin, in a dose- and time-dependent manner, while having minimal effect on healthy glial cells. Morphological and biochemical evaluations (TUNEL assay) confirmed apoptotic indices, which continued unabated even in the presence of free radical scavengers. Overall, our results suggest that liposome-encapsulated kaempferol offers an effective and relatively safe cancer treatment, with the promise of overcoming antioxidant-induced drug resistance. Their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier sheds light on the potential use to treat glioblastoma.