GWC² Research Faculty

Carbohydrates constitute the most abundant class of natural products. In addition to being a source of energy, numerous oligo- and poly- saccharides have functional roles in various biological events such as cell-cell interactions, immune reactions, and molecular signaling. Specific Carbohydrate Antigens are expressed in at the surface of tumor cells, non-host cells (i.e. red blood cells in transfusions) or bacteria and can be involved in antigen specific immune responses. Such immune reactions are mostly resulting in the production of antibodies that bind specifically to a three-dimensional Carbohydrate Epitope displayed within the antigen by a di- or tri- saccharide fragment of the antigen. In that context, I am interested in the identification of such Epitopes displayed at the surface of tumor cells (TACEs) or bacteria and their use as immunotherapeutics in the fight against cancer or bacterial infection.

My area of interest/expertise is physical-organic chemistry. Thus, our research projects focus on mechanistic, kinetic and thermodynamic studies. Investigations are based primarily on the application of UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and time-resolved laser-flash photolysis techniques. While the emphasis of our projects is on thermodynamic and kinetic properties, all our projects also involve organic syntheses. Hence, chromatographic techniques, mass spectrometry as well as NMR and IR spectroscopy are frequently used.

The goal of our experimental program is to help shape the science and technology of quantum devices, by developing prototypes and the quantum control techniques necessary for scalable Quantum Information Processing. Particular focus is on using the particle property of spin to encode quantum information in a robust way. Our research involves nuclear and electron magnetic resonance, nanoscale device fabrication, and low temperature measurement techniques. We are exploring applications of novel nanomaterials such as nanowires and carbon nanotubes for making quantum coherent 'spintronic' devices.

We have consolidated our research efforts into environmental electrochemistry, with emphasis on the electrochemical treatment of aqueous wastes. Electrolysis offers a “niche technology” for compounds that are “recalcitrant” towards conventional biological treatment – because they are metallic, or unreactive biologically, or toxic to the microorganisms of a bioreactor.

One of the most challenging goals of physics in the new millennium is to understand molecular structures and functions of biomolecules. We have recently proposed a potential energy at a microscopic level that can be used to describe the stability of the alpha helix conformation. Taking advantage of Monte Carlo simulation techniques and the state of the art computational facility, we have studied the thermodynamics and kinetics of various stages of the folding process.

The focus of our work is on creating new reagents to carry out transformations which are not currently possible using existing methodology or to improve upon known reagents. Much of what we do is related to the preparation of compounds with defined stereochemistry. Organometallic reagents play a major role in our research. Organometallic reagents are particularly useful in organic synthesis since they can be used to make new carbon-carbon bonds, often with stereochemical consequences. We have used organic derivatives of aluminum, boron, copper, lithium, magnesium, tin, and zinc to effect asymmetric transformations.

The stabilization of highly reactive compounds and the synthesis of technologically important materials (such as semiconductors) from molecular precursors are the two main areas of our research. We are particularly interested in finding low temperature routes for the deposition of thin films. Current work concentrates on thin films of copper, silver, gold and semiconductors (mostly silicon and germanium). These films are an integral part of all microelectronic circuits and have a large potential for photo voltaic application ('solar cells').

NMR-spectroscopy, RNA and protein structure, RNA-protein interactions, RNA catalysis, viral infections and cellular defense mechanisms

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has developed into a powerful method for the structure determination of small and medium sized proteins (up to ca. 250 aa) and nucleic acids (up to ca. 50 nt) in solution. NMR spectroscopy is in many ways complementary to x-ray crystallography: The structures are obtained in solution, its strength lies in the area of smaller biomolecules, and NMR allows a detailed study of weak intermolecular interactions and dynamic processes.

RNA plays a central role in numerous central processes in all living cells. It fulfills functions ranging from structural roles (in vaults and ribosomes) over that of an information carrier (mRNA, viral genomes) to catalysis (self-splicing introns, plant virus ribozymes). The 'RNA-world' hypothesis assumes an even greater importance of RNA with it being the sole information carrier and catalyst for all reactions in pre-biotic times and maybe in primitive life forms. The laboratory will focus on two areas of RNA related research: Small RNAs with interesting ligand binding or catalytic properties and the structure and function of RNA-protein complexes.

Aptamers are RNA or DNA molecules that have been selected in vitro to bind to a ligand of choice. In vitro selection experiments have been used to evolve the ATP-binding aptamer into a 5’-RNA kinase. The determination of the structure of this kinase ribozyme and the study of its reaction mechanism will provide important insights into RNA evolution and its role as a catalyst. Other small RNAs of interest include a phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase binding aptamer and self-aminoacylating RNA.

The structure determination of RNA and RNA-protein complexes by NMR requires the development and application of heteronuclear, multi-dimensional NMR techniques in combination with complete or specific ¹³C, ¹⁵N, and ²H labeling of the molecules under investigation. In addition in vitro selection can be applied to find RNAs with high affinities for target proteins or modules of these proteins. The study of ion-binding to RNA and the investigation of the molecular dynamics of free RNAs and their complexes will add to a more complete picture of the structure and function of RNA and RNA-protein interactions on a molecular level.

Enzyme structure and function.

Associative polymers are made of a solvent soluble polymer backbone onto which insoluble pendants have been attached. In the appropriate solvent, the insoluble moieties associate, and induce the formation of large polymer aggregates, which thickens the solution. Upon shear, these associations are broken and the solution thins. These peculiar rheological behaviors have found many practical applications. Quantitative characterization of the associative strength of associative polymers is difficult to achieve due to their highly polydisperse nature. Associative polymers are usually polydisperse in length, with insoluble moieties randomly attached onto the backbone, and they form polymer aggregates which are polydisperse in size.

Our research program centers on the design, development and discovery of novel transition-metal and Lewis acid-promoted carbon-carbon bond forming processes for the enantio- and stereocontrolled synthesis of complex carbocycles and heterocycles. Polycyclic ring systems are present in many natural products and represent important synthetic targets with wide-ranging biological activities. The innovative aspect of our research program lies in exploring the reactivity, and mechanism of unusual intermediates in a synthetic context.

Our research in the area of analytical mass spectrometry focuses on the development and application of new, effective, and convenient techniques for characterization of chemical components of complex mixtures typically found in environmental and biological samples. Our strategy for improving the existing analytical methods is coupling mass spectrometry with High Field Asymmetric Waveform Ion Mobility Spectrometry (FAIMS). FAIMS is a gas-phase separation method, which is capable of separating and focusing ions on the basis of how the ions move in the presence of an alternating electrical field. By placing a FAIMS device at the front end of a mass spectrometer, the sensitivity and available spectral information can be increased dramatically. In some instances, the improvement is so significant that the FAIMS system has been called the “Hubble Telescope” of mass spectrometry. In our research, the combination of electrospray ionization, FAIMS, and mass spectrometry will be used for rapid, sensitive, and comprehensive characterization of a wide range of pollutants in drinking water.

Our research efforts are currently focused on the synthesis and physical characterization of a new class of branched macromolecules, called arborescent polymers. The term arborescent (from the latin arbor = tree) refers to the tree-like or dendritic structure of the molecules. These compounds are obtained in successive reaction cycles of anionic polymerization and grafting. For example, grafting linear polystyrene side chains onto a linear polystyrene substrate yields a comb-branched (generation G=0) structure. Repetition of the grafting reaction leads to higher generation arborescent polymers of generations G=1, 2, etc. (M. Gauthier and M. Möller 1991, Macromolecules 24, 4548):

The computationally efficient inclusion of electron correlation is a major part of quantum chemistry. On moving away from equilibrium geometries, a single configuration based molecular orbital method becomes less adequate necessitating the inclusion of electron correlation. Aspects of spin polarized density functional theory (DFT) are under investigation. Symmetry breaking problems in density functional theory and the description of singlet biradicals are of particular interest.

Statistical Mechanics, transport theory, and simulations are applied to atoms and molecules in fluid phases and to ions in ion channels. We seek to predict and understand the thermodynamic, structural, spectroscopic and transport properties, of molecules, atoms and ions under conditions that are fundamentally interesting or that are relevant to biology and engineering.

The number of substances that can be separated on a single column is limited by so-called peak capacity. Under ideal conditions, it can be several hundred at the most. In practice, this number is usually much lower because peaks are not evenly spaced. Peak capacity can be increased dramatically by performing the separation in more than one dimension. Application of comprehensive two-dimensional chromatography for the analysis of complex samples in the field and in the laboratory is therefore studied. In this method, analytes eluting from one column are trapped for a short time in a special interface and re-injected into a second column with a different stationary phase. Separation in the second column is very fast, so that all components leave the column before subsequent injection takes place.

My research addresses the impacts of sunlight on environmental biology and chemistry. The focus is on two projects: Photoinduced toxicity of environmental contaminants and effects of UV-B radiation on plants. These projects involve molecular, biochemical, photochemical, photobiological and whole organism techniques.

Nitric oxide (NO), formed by nitric oxide synthase (NOS), regulates a number of physiological and pathophysiological functions. NO is involved in homoeostatic processes such as blood pressure regulation, neurotransmission, and is cytotoxic at high concentrations. The NOS isozymes are fully active when bound to calmodulin (CaM), the ubiquitous calcium-binding regulatory protein. While inducible NOS (iNOS) activation by CaM only requires basal levels of calcium, the constitutive isoforms of NOS require elevated levels of calcium for CaM binding and activation. We are investigating the role of calmodulin in the differential regulation of the various NOS isoforms. Recombinant enzymes are selectively modified and investigated for enzymatic activity and characterized using a variety of biophysical techniques.

The central theme of our research concerns the experimental and theoretical study of highly vibrationally excited molecules. At high enough energies, light interacts with molecules containing XH oscillators to prepare states that are more localized than those expected on the basis of the traditionally accepted normal mode description of molecular vibrations. We have developed the local mode description of such vibrational states, and this description has now gained general acceptance. We study these states with overtone spectra. Because of the localization, these overtone spectra are extremely sensitive to the properties of XH bonds. We measure these spectra with a variety of sophisticated spectroscopic techniques including intracavity laser photoacoustic spectroscopy and use them to study molecular structure and conformation. The time scale of the overtone experiment allows us to study conformational processes that are much too fast to be studied by conventional techniques like NMR. We also use these spectr a to study intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution.

Our laboratory works at the interface of chemistry and biochemistry. We apply chemical and biochemical principles and techniques to the problems of protein structure/function as well as to elucidate the chemical mechanisms of several key enzymes, some of which have medical importance. Organic chemistry (organic synthesis of novel biophysical probes and enzyme inhibitors and protein chemical modification techniques), physical chemistry and molecular modelling are being applied to complex protein structures.

Electrochemical methods are particularly 'green' (electrons as reagents) and the lack of byproducts makes them attractive for synthesizing pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. Organic electrosynthesis is already established as a major technology for the production, inter alia, of hydrogen peroxide for the pulp and paper industry, of chlorine and sodium hydroxide, and of adiponitrile, a precursor to nylon. Electrochemistry offers access to the synthesis of valuable compounds including fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, complex natural products and a wide variety of interesting intermediates and precursors such as chiral drug intermediates. The optimization of an electrochemical (or any other) synthesis demands a thorough understanding of the underlying physical and mechanistic chemistry; The 'electrochemical workstation' allows to carry out the fundamental mechanistic studies under almost exactly the same conditions as those that will be used for the actual syntheses. Specific synthetic targets of our electrochemical research are substituted C-glycosides, pharmaceutically and agrochemically interesting fluorinated compounds, sulfonium, bislufonium and tetrasulfonium salts. Sulfonioum salts have a wide range of applications in the polymer and photographic industries.

Dr. Joseph comes to UW after completing a CIHR post-doctoral fellowship at Duke University in Dr. Newgard’s laboratory. Dr. Newgard is the director of a world class diabetes and metabolism research center at Duke University in North Carolina. His work led to the discovery of a novel pathway involved in the regulation of insulin release from pancreatic ß-cells called pyruvate-cycling. Prior to this Dr. Joseph did his PhD at the University of Toronto in Dr. Wheeler’s laboratory looking at the role of the inner mitochondrial membrane protein uncoupling protein-2 in pancreatic ß-cell ATP production and insulin secretion. Dr. Joseph did his Master’s at the University of Toronto in Dr. Brubaker’s laboratory developing novel oral delivery systems for therapeutic peptides. Dr. Joseph’s laboratory at UW will focus on looking at the role of glucose in regulating insulin release from pancreatic ß-cells. For more details on his research program go to his website at www.betacellmetabolism.org.

Direct elemental analysis of micro-samples, analytical atomic spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma optical emission and mass spectrometry, chemometrics, artificial intelligence via neural networks, intelligent spectrochemical instrumentation.

Thermoelectrics are materials which are capable of converting heat into electrical energy and vice versa. This fascinating phenomenon is nowadays commercially used in power generators (e.g., in the telecommunication industry, or in spacecrafts), food refrigerators, air conditioning, cryotherapy, pacemakers, and sensors (e.g. thermocouples). The automobile industry is eager to use this technique, e.g. for environmentally harmless air conditioning or as a power source for the radio or headlights, driven by the exhaust heat. The applications are to date limited due to the somewhat low efficiency h (ca. 5 - 10 %)

Topics of fundamental chemical and/or biological interest form the basis for our investigations. One primary research area is directed toward understanding molecular aspects of biological nitrogen fixation. These studies have led to the development of synthetic chemistry associated with clusters of weak-field iron and anionic nitrogen ligation; the discovery within these clusters of iron centers with rare or unprecedented features, e.g., high-valent +4 oxidation states, 3-coordinate metal environments and terminal imide ligation; and the demonstration of physicochemical analogies that relate iron-nitrogen systems to biological iron-sulfur chemistry.

Theoretical and computational chemical physics - the study of the 'sex life' of simple molecules. I am interested in understanding and using theory (i.e., quantum mechanics) to determine the basic forces between atoms and molecules, in order to understand and predict physical and chemical phenomena. For example, the characteristic patterns of spectroscopically observed transition frequencies associated with a particular molecule contains information telling us about the shape and structure of the molecule, the forces in the bonds, the dissociation energy, and the nature of the fragments formed on dissociation. In one series of projects I work on developing and applying methods for optimally extracting such information from experimental data. Computer programs I have developed for doing this are distributed free to anyone who asks, and are in use in hundreds of research and teaching labs around the world.

The primary mission of the Laboratory is to conduct exploratory studies of radiation-matter interactions in molecular and condensed matter using new electron-impact (and photon-impact) coincidence techniques. A wide range of surface science and chemical physics experiments probing the fundamental aspects of polyatomic molecules, low-temperature plasmas, semiconductor surfaces, and technological thin films and their interactions with charged-particle beams are being conducted.

Our efforts are directed towards understanding of phenomena which determine the structure and composition of the metal solution interface. We are studying processes, such as adsorption, electron and ion transfer, which are involved in electrolytic production of metals, corrosion and energy conversion in fuel cells or batteries. The metals are Pt, Au, Ag and Cu and their alloys.

Our laboratory runs highly interdisciplinary research programs based on the chemistry, biology, and nanotechnology of DNA and lipids. Bioinorganic chemistry: we employ DNA as a metal ligand to produce novel catalysts for important reactions. We are also interested in using DNA and lipids as templates to synthesize inorganic nanoparticles and template their assembly. Analytical chemistry: we pursue novel methods of selecting DNA ligands (aptamers) that can bind biologically important targets and designing biosensors. Nanomedicine: we use DNA, lipids, and various nanoparticles to make targeted drug delivery systems, imaging agent, and anti-bacterial agents.

At Waterloo, Dr. Lu has built a state-of-the-art time-resolved femtosecond laser spectroscopic laboratory. The ultrafast spectroscopic techniques are complemented with biochemical methods such as DNA damage and cell death assays. Our projects are mainly aimed at exploring new exciting frontiers in applications of ultrafast biophotonics technology to medical research, particularly cancer research and treatments.

Our research aims to develop materials and devices using characteristic phenomena’s of nanoscience. The focus of the research is in the area of using nanomaterials for synthesis and self assembly of functional structures such as touch sensors and ionic conductors, development of bio-nano-electronic systems that couple cells with nanomaterial and biosensors.

Our research program focuses broadly on DNA interactions of xenobiotics that possess diverse biological activities. One area of study stems from our discovery that phenolic xenobiotics attach covalently to DNA and form carbon-(C) and oxygen-(O)-bonded C8-deoxyguanosine (dG) adducts through the intermediacy of the phenoxyl radical. Phenoxyl radicals are one-electron oxidation products of phenols that have been identified in numerous biological systems and are implicated in cancer and aging. A second, and more specific, project in our laboratory centers on gaining an understanding of the cancer-causing properties of ochratoxin A (OTA). OTA is a natural fungal toxin that is implicated in human kidney cancer.

My research program is directed toward the investigation of structure, energetics and reaction dynamics of gaseous ions. Most recently, the majority of our work has focussed on cluster ions. To carry out this research we use high pressure mass spectrometry (HPMS) and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) spectrometers. HPMS is uniquely suited to the investigation of energetics of gaseous ion-molecule equilibria, particularly equilibria associated with ion-molecule clustering and exchange reactions. Using this technique we have amassed a considerable database for the energetics as well as kinetics of a wide variety of cluster species. Our FTICR spectrometer is equipped with a high pressure ion source also. Using this instrument we can generate cluster species, transfer them to the FTICR cell under UHV conditions and then study their subsequent bimolecular or unimolecular chemistry.

We are investigating the relationships between protein structure, function, folding and dynamics, at atomic resolution. We use a multidisciplinary approach involving multi-nuclear heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy, optical spectroscopies, differential scanning calorimetry, stopped-flow rapid mixing techniques and molecular biological techniques to overexpress and rationally modify proteins of biological and medical importance.

Modern analytical instrumentation allows the analysis of solutions so dilute that single molecules can be detected, provided that no interfering species are present. Our research involves the selectivity aspect of analytical assays and sensors to overcome interferences that exist in such matrices as biological or environmental samples. Our research program investigates both natural and artificial recognition methods in an effort to distinguish the analyte species from closely-related potential interferants.

* Chemistry and Biochemistry of Complex Carbohydrates
* Development of New Carbohydrate Vaccines
* The Chemical Structures of Bacterial Capsule- and Lipo-polysaccharides, and Viral Glycoproteins
* Chemistry of Polysaccharides and Metabolites from Medicinal Plants
* Development of New Techniques for the Characterization of Polysaccharide Structures
* Glycoconjugate Vaccines
* Mass Spectrometry and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

One of the most interesting aspects of materials chemistry is the design of structures with specific physical properties. Using these principles, we construct new materials, determine their structures and investigate the resultant properties of the material. We are, in particular, interested in ionic and electronic transport in materials since these properties can be applied to the development of specific devices.

Our long term goal is to develop accurate wave function based electronic structure methods that are applicable to general open-shell systems, in particular transition metal compounds. The electronic structure technique should be coupled to an efficient scheme to describe non-adiabatic nuclear dynamics such that one can make direct comparisons with experimental results.

Single component molecular conductors based on neutral pi-radical building blocks represent an appealing alternative to conventional synthetic conductors, which require charge transfer between two components as a means of generating charge carriers. Radicals, however, tend to dimerize, and even when association is suppressed, the high on-site Coulomb repulsion U leads to a Mott insulating state. We therefore build heterocyclic radicals in which the value of U is minimized. We also seek materials that will not dimerize in the solid state, and yet will exhibit a strong network of intermolecular interactions, so that sufficient electronic bandwidth is generated to offset U. Incorporating all of these features into a single molecule is a major challenge in materials design and synthesis.

The research in my group focuses on protein-lipid interaction in biological membranes. Main topics are

* Structure and function of bacterial pore-forming toxins
* Development of fluorescence methods to study protein-protein and protein-membrane interaction
* Lipid-mediated regulation of G-protein coupled receptors. This is a new and exciting area for which I am looking for co-workers.

Our experiments involve a range of methods - fluorescence, protein chemistry, molecular biology, and cell culture. The results of this work are of both theoretical and medical interest.

Our focus is on the development and application of state-of-the-art, integrated and automated analytical methods and instrumentation, for on-site analysis and monitoring.

* Kinetics and Modelling of Multicomponent Bulk, Solution, Suspension and Emulsion Polymerizations (styrenics/vinyl acetate/acrylates/methacrylates).
* Development of Flexible Simulator Packages for Polymerization Processes
* Dynamic Optimization of Polymer Reactor Operation
* Polymer Reactor Pilot-Plant Instrumentation and Automation
* On-line Multivariable Nonlinear Model Predictive Control of Polymerization Reactors
* State Estimation and Kalman Filtering of Polymerization Processes
* High Temperature Terpolymerizations and Depropagation Studies
* Multifunctional Initiators

Our research focuses on using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to look at molecular and electronic structure and dynamics (motions) in solids and (to a lesser degree) in solutions. We also use Molecular Orbital (MO) calculations and x-ray and neutron diffraction to compliment and support the results of our measurements.

My primary research goals are to develop and apply methods to characterize and compare the structure of compounds using NMR spectroscopy. NMR is applicable to a wide range of materials, including gases, solutions, crystalline solids, amorphous materials and surfaces, and a large number of nuclear isotopes are available as spectroscopic probes, including 1H, 13C and 31P, and over 80 other NMR-accessible nuclei. The NMR experiment is very sensitive to subtle changes in the electronic or geometric environment around each nucleus, making NMR an ideal structural probe.

The broad field of 'molecular materials' is a rapidly developing research area in which a deepening insight into the nature of atomic and molecular behaviour is married with exciting potential 'real world' applications. Molecular magnets, molecular conductors, single molecule magnets, organic light emitting diodes and molecular switches are only a few examples of such molecular materials.

The rational design and preparation of molecular materials with predictable and/or controllable magnetic properties is the fundamental goal of our research. Our approach involves the development of new spin-bearing ligands, based on sulfur-nitrogen heterocyclic radicals, and the coordination of these ligands to paramagnetic metals.

Research interests include the synthesis of porous materials and nanoobjects with the help of soft matter (micelles, liquid crystals, biogels) with applications in various domains (membrane processes, catalysis, organic or inorganic nanoparticles).

Our research program is generally concerned with the concept of multi-functionality in reduced dimensions, and the applications of multifunctional nanosystems for addressing important chemical, physical, bio-medical, and technological problems. Specifically, we are interested in synthesis, fundamental physical and chemical properties, and applications of rationally designed nanostructured materials that combine tunable optical, electrical and magnetic properties. We apply a variety of synthetic, crystallographic, microscopic, spectroscopic, magnetic, and transport techniques, and perform the measurements of novel nanomaterials at both ensemble and a single nanostructure levels.

Our fundamental interest is the study, comprehension and control of surface and interfacial processes. The systems that we are currently interested in include organic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) bound to metal surfaces (e.g., Au, Ni, Pd, Rh, Hg, Ga), organometallic film precursors (e.g., Fe(CO)₅, Ni(CO)₄, Al(CH₃)₃ ), and composite materials for selective catalysis and electrocatalysis. By exploring the molecular dynamics of these species in well-controlled environments, we hope to be able to increase the selectivity of surface reactions and enhance the mechanical properties of atomically-thin films.

Our research is aimed at the understanding of the dynamics of complex molecular systems. To this end, we are developing theoretical approaches and numerical algorithms for computer simulations. We are interested in various levels of theory from classical molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo approaches for the simulation of large biomolecular systems, to extreme quantum mechanical situations where both dispersion and quantum statistical effects have to be accounted for, such as in the case of quantum clusters and fluids. We are also developing semi-classical approaches for intermediate cases where a classical description fails but where an approximate quantum mechanical treatment is sufficient to capture the relevant phenomenology.

We are interested in applying homogeneous transition metal catalysis to sugar substrates with the ultimate objective of transforming naturally abundant sugar molcules to high value-added synthons for biomedical (e.g. antibiotics) and polymer (e.g. polyesters of alpha,omega-diols) applications using either known or novel catalysts specifically designed and developed in our lab. Projects on the catalytic vinylation, silylation, and dehydrogenation of sugars are presently under way in our lab.

The ability to develop new chemical transformations is a key element of organic chemistry. To this end our group has been pursuing both new reactions and the chemistry of newly discovered functional groups. This approach allows us to study cycloaddition chemistry, strained heterocycles, reactive intermediates and asymmetric synthesis.

Our current investigations involve the chemistry of sulfur and silicon containing compounds. We have learned about the mechanism of a regioselective deprotonation/stereoselective ring opening rearrangement of thiirane S-oxides (1) which forms 1-alkenesulfenate anions (2). We have determined the behavior of those 1-alkenesulfenate anions with several reagents. We have uncovered the first synthesis of a new functionality, the 1-alkenesulfinyl chloride (3), and the group is currently pursuing its chemistry.

Research Interests:
* Correlation of synthesis-structure-properties of polymers
* Development of polymer nanocomposites
* Mathematical modeling of polymerization mechanisms

Our multidisciplinary research generally fits in the area of supramolecular chemistry, crystal engineering and nanomaterials science. The objects of interest are molecular crystals and materials made of two or more components. Currently used 'building elements' are either metal complexes or simple peptides.

The ultimate goals of our research are materials that could be utilized in future technologies (to store gases, to separate chemicals, to encapsulate waste, to sense volatile pollutants) and in biomedical applications (to make new forms of pharmaceuticals, to stabilize sensitive ingredients, to preserve and deliver flavors, to model biostructures).

We synthesize new compounds, explore their structure, stability, physicochemical behavior, chemical properties and potential use. Specific interests: porous materials (organic zeolites/clays); inclusion compounds (host-guest systems, clathrates); co-crystals; coordination polymers, metal-organic frameworks, oligopeptides, weak interactions, crystallography, thermodynamics.

The objective of our research program is to develop novel synthetic methodologies in organic synthesis for the construction of different ring systems, including: nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds, spirocyclic compounds, attached-ring compounds and polycyclic compounds. These ring systems are present in many biologically important natural products, which have found use in anti-HIV, anticancer, antiviral and antiretroviral researches. Synthetic methods which allow for the rapid construction of these ring systems with high regio-, stereo- and enantioselecitives would be very useful.

Research Interests include:

Nanomaterials and Nanodevices for Biology and Medicine;

Bio-Molecule Assisted Nanomaterial Self-Assembly;and

Health and Environmental Effects of Engineered Nanomaterials.

My research program is multidisciplinary ranging from medicinal and synthetic chemistry to mechanistic enzymology. Our synthetic work includes synthesis of sulfated carbohydrates and peptides, synthesis of organofluorines such as fluorinated steroids, amino acids and carbohydrates, design of chiral fluorinating agents for performing enantioselective electrophilic fluorination and the synthesis of organophosphorus compounds such as nucleotide analogues. Many of the compounds we prepare are designed to act as inhibitors and probes of enzymes involved in steroid biosynthesis, signal transduction pathways and purine biosynthesis. A variety of techniques are utilized such as fluorimetry, NMR, mass spec, HPLC, protein purification/overexpression and molecular modeling.

We work in the interdisciplinary fields of Surface Science and Materials Science. The optical, electronic, and mechanical properties of materials are investigated to determine how the CHEMISTRY of the formation processes affects the PHYSICS of the final product.

Chemical Etching of Porous Silicon * Interfacial States in Semiconducting BaTiO₃ * Organometallic Chemical Vapour Deposition (OMCVD) * Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy * Scanning Tunneling Microscopy * Scanning Force Microscopy * Nanostructure Formation * Collosal Magnetoresistance (CMR)

Many geological and industrial processes take place at conditions far beyond the range of conventional room temperature measurements. The objective of my research is to develop the knowledge base and theoretical understanding needed to describe the behaviour of aqueous systems at extremes of temperature and pressure encountered in electrical power stations, nuclear reactors, geothermal ore bodies, deep-ocean hydrothermal vents, and the thermal recovery of heavy oil.

Dr. Wettig comes to UW after completing a post-doctoral fellowship at the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition at the University of Saskatchewan, where he was involved in Dr. Marianna Foldvari's initiatives in bio-nanotechnology specifically relating to self-assembling delivery systems for gene therapy applications. His work has focused on the rational design, synthesis and characterization of novel surface-active compounds (surfactants) for use in non-viral gene therapy vectors. He obtained his Ph.D. studying the physical chemistry of novel mixed surfactant/polymer systems with Dr. Ron Verrall in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. Wettig's research at UW will focus on the design of novel self-assembling systems for drug delivery applications and physicochemical studies of the interactions of these systems with macromolecules such as proteins and DNA.

Our principle business is the generation, detection, and investigation of small unstable molecules using a variety of spectroscopic techniques, and the use of spectroscopic methods for ultrasensitive analysis. The goals of the work are to develop methods for generating novel molecules, show that they exist, and obtain electronic and geometric information on them by means of spectroscopic techniques in conjunction with quantum chemistry calculations. Since many of the experimental methods we employ are highly sensitive and specific they also find applications in analytical determinations.