CHEM Theses and Dissertations
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This collection includes digital copies of master's theses and dissertations (ETD) completed in the Department of Chemistry. The ETD collection has been started in 2005.
A full set of the WSU theses and dissertations may be found at the University Libraries stacks (Call No.: LD2667.T4 A-Z for Master's Theses and LD2667.T42 A-Z for Dissertations) and in Library Special Collections.
Search Libraries Catalog for theses and dissertations bibliographic description, including student and his/her advisor's name, title of work, abstract, links to other digital holdings if available, etc.
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Item Exploration of the optical properties of heteroanionic compounds(Wichita State University, 2024-07) Jiao, Zixian; Wang, JianNonlinear optical (NLO) materials can convert light from one wavelength to its half wavelength, resulting in the enhancement of the light energy (talking about single photon here, doubled frequency for new photons) through a process called second harmonic generation (SHG). SHG can be simply explained as two photons with the same frequency interact within the NLO material and are combined, forming a new photon with the doubled frequency (half wavelength) of the initial two photons. Due to this unique optical property, these kinds of materials can be utilized in a wide field, for instance, they can be employed in lasers for frequency conversion techniques where infrared lasers can be converted to visible outputs and they can also be used to strengthen the capability of optical communication system by generating a new light with higher frequencies, etc. Due to the structural diversity and the emerging plentiful physical properties of heteroanionic compounds, they have become popularly investigated nonlinear optical materials (NLO). In this work, the synthesis, characterization, and analysis of the related properties of three different systems of NLO heteroanionic compounds are presented and discussed. By investigating and comparing different NLO heteroanionic compounds and their related optical properties can not only provide strategies and inspirations of designing and synthesizing new and better qualified NLO materials but also can enrich the knowledge and the understanding of the related nonlinear or linear optical properties.Item The role of the chaperone CooB in the folding of the CS1 pilus subunit CooA from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(Wichita State University, 2024-07) Loh, Pui Yen; Bann, James G.CS1 pili from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) play an essential role in colonizing host intestinal tissue, leading to severe diarrheal disease. CS1 (coli surface antigen 1) pili are a representative class of pili formed using the alternate chaperone-usher pathway for pilus assembly. For CS1, the assembly of the subunits CooA and the tip CooD requires the chaperone CooB and the outer membrane usher CooC. Despite having little sequence homology, CooB is thought to assist in folding the subunits similarly to known chaperones, such as PapD (for P pili) and FimC (for type I pili), which have been shown to catalyze the folding of pilus subunits. To confirm that CooB functions as a chaperone or catalyst, we monitored the folding of CooA in the presence and absence of CooB. To do this, we generated a mutant of CooA (F84W) and a mutant of CooB (W71F) that allowed us to monitor solely the tryptophan fluorescence of F84WCooA, even in the presence of W71FCooB. The kinetic results indicated that the rate of F84WCooA folding did not increase with W71FCooB concentration, suggesting that W71FCooB acts as a classical chaperone by preventing nonspecific aggregation. Consequently, CooB does not function similarly to PapD and FimC in facilitating the folding of subunits and may represent a form of convergent evolution in how pilus subunits can be assembled.Item A study of the ferric-salicylohydroxamic acid system(Wichita State University, 1961-05) Gardner, Nelson Craig; Christian, Robert V.Item An attempted study of the reaction between cyclopropyl methyl ketone and hydrobromic acid(Wichita State University, 1961-05) Chappell, Gilford A.; Stuckwisch, Clarence G.; Johnson Jr., John W.; Crocker, Glenn R.Item Development of the fast analysis suite and its implementation on analysis of MHC class I proteins and KRAS(Wichita State University, 2024-05) Heikes, Micah E.; Mitchell-Koch, Katie R.This thesis introduces the "Fast Analysis Suite," a novel computational tool designed to revolutionize the analysis of protein structures and dynamics. The suite comprises two main applications: a Structure Analysis Suite and a Bash Script Generator for GROMACS simulations. The Structure Analysis Suite provides comprehensive insights into protein structures, detailing secondary structures, amino acid properties, and solvent accessible surface areas, which are essential for understanding protein functionality and interactions. The Bash Script Generator automates the creation of scripts necessary for advanced molecular dynamics analyses, such as characterizing the biomolecular solvation layer by calculating Diffusion Coefficients, Reorientation Times, Hydrogen Bond Lifetimes, and Radial Distribution Functions, thereby significantly reducing manual scripting efforts and potential errors. The effectiveness and efficiency of this suite are demonstrated through simulations on two biologically significant proteins: MHC Class 1 proteins, which play a critical role in the immune response, and KRAS, a key protein often implicated in cancer development due to its mutational propensity. The results showcase the suite's ability to provide fast, accurate, and comprehensive analyses, highlighting its potential as a valuable tool in protein research and its contribution to the fields of computational biology and molecular biophysics. This work not only presents a significant advancement in the methodology of protein analysis but also paves the way for accelerated discoveries related to hydration dynamics and protein function.