U.S.-Japan Joint Seminar: Molecular Recognition and Separation in Nano-structured Media

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

9909994 Freiser This award supports the participation of American scientists in a U.S.-Japan seminar on Molecular Recognition and Separation in Nano-structured Media, to be held in Tucson, Arizona from December 20-22, 2000. The co-organizers are Professors Henry Freiser at the University of Arizona, and Professor Hitoshi Watarai at Osaka University in Japan. The need for high selectivities in separations of organic compounds (biological, chiral and achiral) and metal ions and their species in underscored by the difficult and complex matrices encountered in many practical separation and sensor applications A major focus of recent research in this area is the design characterization of nano-structured separation media that are ordered at the molecular level to address selective separation and sensing of target analytes from extremely complex matrices such as natural products, biological fluids, and wastes for recovery and remediation. Such media involve ordered layered materials, thin films, molecularly imprinted polymers, and the organized molecular assemblies micelles, vesicles and dendrimers. This symposium is dedicated to the latest advances in the design of nano-structure materials and their molecular recognition efficacies in a variety of separation and sensing problems. The role of the interface and interfacial phenomena in molecular recognition will be emphasized. Research in nano-structured media is at the cutting-edge and includes novel synthetic approaches such as combinatorial and directional synthesis, fundamental understanding of the efficacies of the nano-structure media for separation, detection, and sensing employing a variety of spectroscopic and separation techniques, the detection and separation of extremely low concentrations of analytes in very small volumes including single molecules, and a detailed examination of interfacial phenomena. The Seminar organizers have made a special effort to involve younger researchers as both participants and observers. The exchange of ideas and data with Japanese experts in this field will enable U.S. participants to advance their own work, and will set the stage for future collaborative projects. It is expected that information on proceedings of the meeting will be available. Both Elsevier and Kluwer Academic Publishers have indicated a strong interest in publishing them.