CAREER: Bioinorganic Chemistry of Nitrogen/Sulfur Ligands Possessing Internal Hydrogen Bond Donors

Utah State University, Logan UT

Investigators

Abstract

Dr. Lisa Berreau, Department of Chemistry, Utah State University, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program, Division of Chemistry, National Science Foundation, through a Career Award for her work in which a new class of chelating nitrogen/sulfur ligands containing hydrogen bond donors will be developed. Complexes with zinc hydroxide, alkoxide and bicarbonate stabilized by internal hydrogen-bonds will be synthesized and characterized to determine structure/function relationships for several metalloenzymes toward design of new catalysts for the oxidation of alcohols, hydration of carbon dioxide, and hydrolytic cleavage of amides. In the educational front, a new bioinorganic chemistry course utilizing cooperative learning techniques, and two new undergraduate laboratory courses also incorporating bioinorganic chemistry elements will be developed. Students will receive a broad-based training in inorganic chemistry with significant insights into the chemistry of biological systems. The catalysts that will be developed are of technological importance.