Tag: Panel C: “Explorations in Chemistry and Water”

Increasing Access to Clean Water: Four Elements of Integrated Water Resources Management as Observed in Two Angolan Water Projects

Presenter: Julia Stafford (Political Science, History)

Mentor: Ron Mitchell

Oral Presentation

Panel C: “Explorations in Chemistry and Water” Oak Room

Concurrent Session 3: 1:45-3:00pm

Facilitator: Sheri Donahoe

By what means can we effectively deliver a bigger quantity of safe, clean water to more people? Integrated water resources management (IWRM) is the dominant framework, calling for the integration of every scale of stakeholder power to achieve increased clean water access. Participatory decision making, capacity building, public‐private partnerships, and valuation are four elements of IWRM that contribute to an effective water management project. Participatory mechanisms increase clean water access by incorporating the principle of subsidiarity. Capacity building creates sustainability by strengthening local resources that would otherwise restrict the expansion of clean water access. Public‐private partnerships alleviate pressure on public institutions which may be incapable of water management independently. Valuation increases the economic viability of water projects. In an evaluation of two IWRM projects in Angola, participatory mechanisms and capacity building are most prominent. In addition, each project reflects the mission of their supporting organization: a social focus for the United Nations Development Programme and an economic one for the World Bank. The United Nations’ project in Angola is more effective in increasing clean water access, validating their human rights and community‐ based project structure.

Utilizing Shear Reactor Technology for Optimizing the Ozonolysis of Alkenes Reaction

Presenter: Ajay Ryerson (Chemistry)

Mentor: David Tyler

Oral Presentation

Panel C: “Explorations in Chemistry and Water” Oak Room

Concurrent Session 3: 1:45-3:00pm

Facilitator: Sheri Donahoe

Ozone is a great oxidizing agent because its byproducts are water and oxygen. Current ozonolysis processes are either slow or dangerous for large scale reactions though. The use of flow reactors is a new technology that solves these problems. We have developed a process for mixing ozone, water and an organic phase together to get our desired material out with little work-up or purification needed. We utilize the Sythetron shear reactor developed by Kinetichem to achieve this mixing. Current yields are comparable to those found in the scientific literature, but results from several experiments have shown that decreasing the volume of gas in the reaction will increase yields. We are very optimistic that once we have an ozone generator that can produce concentrated ozone we will be able a produce material at rates unprecedented in the literature, all while being easier to work‐up than any oxidative process to date.

Making a Catalyst in order to Study the Break Down of Plastics and Other Polymers

Presenter: Mollie Bello (Chemistry)

Mentor: David Tyler

Oral Presentation

Panel C: “Explorations in Chemistry and Water” Oak Room

Concurrent Session 3: 1:45-3:00pm

Facilitator: Sheri Donahoe

The break-down of plastics is an important area of research; however, the way in which these plastics break down is a very complicated reaction. In order to better understand the how different environmental factors play a role in this degradation, the Tyler Lab has synthesized very weak polymers (polymers are the building blocks of plastics). Simple polymers of this type have already been synthesized, which is why my project has been focused on making these weak polymers with a more complicated structure. In order to make this reaction work, a catalyst is needed. In order to use this catalyst, it needs to be synthesized. The production of this catalyst is where my focus has been centered. When the reaction conditions described in the literature are used, I have proven that a different molecule is formed. Going forward on this project, I want to discover why the catalyst is not being formed, and what I can change about my reaction conditions in order to make the desired product.

Thermodynamically Controlled, Dynamic Binding of Polyols to a 1,2-BN Cyclohexane Derivative

Presenter: Gregory Harlow (Chemistry)

Mentor: Shih-Yuan Liu

Oral Presentation

Panel C: “Explorations in Chemistry and Water” Oak Room

Concurrent Session 3: 1:45-3:00pm

Facilitator: Sheri Donahoe

The high affinity, selective binding of polyols to a benzylated 1,2-BN cyclohexane derivative is introduced. Solid- state structures of the covalent interactions with 1,2-, 1,3-, and 1,4-glycols have been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. 11B NMR is shown to be a convenient method for distinguishing 5-, 6-, and 7-membered chelate ring size. Site-specific binding to oligoalcohols proceeds under thermodynamic control, and association constants for these contacts have been quantified by NMR peak integration. Additional mechanistic insights and evidence for dynamic exchange has been gained through combined deuterium labeling experiments and variable temperature NMR studies with a model 1,2-diol. These binding events suggest broad implications for both the field of polyol sensing and the expanding science of boron-nitrogen analogues, including 1,2-azaborines.