Senior Independent Study Theses from 2024
Pesticides in the Atmosphere: The Heterogeneous Ozonolysis of Triticonazole, Sarah A. Epstein
Department: Chemistry
Molecular Rails: Bringing Solar Cells Back on Track, David Kibler Evans
Department: Chemistry
Suspect Screening and Semi-Quantification of Organic Contaminants in Snow and Water Samples on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and High Mountain Regions, Wenkai Fan
Department: Chemistry
Interrogation of the Dopamine Beta-Hydroxylase Mechanism Through Biomimetic Modeling, Eli J. Harvey
Department: Chemistry
Cationic Polymer Surface Modification of Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) to Increase PFAS Adsorption from Drinking Water, Noah T. Hill
Department: Chemistry
The Effect of Ring Substituent Position on the Photodegradation Kinetics of Aminobenzoic Acid, Isaac Jimenez-Ekman
Department: Chemistry
High Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of Emerging Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Precipitation from the Midwestern United States: A Multi-Year Study, Yubin Kim
Department: Chemistry
Investigation of the Effect of Crosslinking on the Swelling Capacity of Swellable Organically Modified Silica, Connor J. Krucek
Department: Chemistry
Ozonolysis of Squalene, Squalane, and Diphenylamine: Reaction Rates and Environmental Implications, Laurel A. Lasch
Department: Chemistry
Evaluating Synthetic Routes to Functionalized PYBOX for Potential Use in Stacked Porphyrin Complexes, Aidan R. Mason
Department: Chemistry
Development of an In-Field Sampling Device for Parts-Per-Quadrillion Levels of PFAS in Treated Water, Jackie P. Moshier
Department: Chemistry
Quantifying the Acidity of Perfluoroalkyl Acids: A Study of pKa Values and Their Relationship to Chemical Structure and Physicochemical Properties, Ciara O'Connor
Department: Chemistry
What do you Rhoda-Mean? A Study of the Photostability and Degradation Kinetics of Two Rhodamines, Rebecca Partee
Department: Chemistry
Making the Invisible Visible: How Analysis of the Photodegradation of Cochineal Dyes in Peruvian Textiles Can Preserve Cultural Memory, Fiona Roche
Department: Chemistry; Spanish
Soak Up the Sun: Exploring the Ability of Quantum Dots to Increase PAR Transmission in Seaman Corporation’s Dura-Grow Greenhouse Film to Improve Plant Growth, Mary E. Sirois
Department: Chemistry
Mobility Assessment of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Within Soil Systems, Jameson Sprankle
Department: Chemistry; Geology
Toward Demonstrating the Synthetic Utility of 7-substituted-quinolin-2(1H)-ones in Organic Synthesis, Jason R. Stewart
Department: Chemistry
Investigating Whether the Product Selectivity Increases with Steric Bulk of Aniline R-Groups in an Isoelectronic Series, Marisol Grace Varela Ausec
Department: Chemistry
Synthesis of 7-Substituted Quinolinones from Meta-Substituted Anilines: Investigating Whether the Product Selectivity Increases with Steric Bulk of Aniline R-Groups in an Isoelectronic Series, Marisol Grace Varela Ausec
Department: Chemistry
Toward a More Efficient and Selective Synthesis of Exclusively 7-Substituted Coumarins, Aileen Yeo
Department: Chemistry
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2023
It’s Raining PFAS! Targeted and Non-Targeted Identification and Quantitation and Semi-Quantitation of Legacy and Emerging Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the Rainwater and Groundwater of Wooster, OH, Donald M. Conley III
Department: Chemistry
Preparation of Porphyrin-PYBOX: a Stepwise Synthesis of Functionalized Diethynyl-bridged Porphyrins for a Potential Application in Solar Energy Conversion, Ferdawss Ihiri
Department: Chemistry
Warfarin in Natural Water: A Study of the Photochemical Decomposition and Product Formation, Colton Rambur
Department: Chemistry
Warfarin in Natural Water: A Study of the Photochemical Decomposition and Product Formation, Colton Rambur
Department: Chemistry
The Belousov-Zhabotinsky Reaction and its Photo-Sensitive Metal Complex Catalysts, Michael L. Scarberry
Department: Chemistry; Physics
Heterogeneous Ozonolysis of a Novel Fungicide, Emma Schell
Department: Chemistry
Investigating the Effect of Steric Bulk of Anilines in the Synthesis of Quinolinones, Eliott John Wright
Department: Chemistry
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2022
Investigation Of The Photodegradation Kinetics Of Para-Aminobenzoic Acid Under Acidic Conditions, Andrew Baeder
Department: Chemistry
A Year Of N-Confusion: Determining Aggregation In N-Confused Porphyrins Using Uv-Vis Spectroscopy, Nina E. Catalfo
Department: Chemistry
What’s In The Air: Characterization Of Particulate Matter In Wooster Ohio, David Rainier DiGena-Segal
Department: Chemistry
Protection Of Pd0 Catalysts From Sulfide Deactivation During Tce Hydrodechlorination Using Polymer-Modified Mesoporous Organosilica, Claire Hefner
Department: Chemistry
Methamphetamine In Wastewater: A Comparison Of Product Identification Post Uv And Chlorination Disinfection, Grace Hiipakka
Department: Chemistry
Multiphase Oxidation Of Squalene And Diphenylamine In The Presence Of Ozone Gas By Using Atr-Ftir Spectroscopy, Riya Joshi
Department: Chemistry
Synthesis And Photophysical Evaluation Of Porphyrin-Natural Product Hybrids For Use In Photodynamic Therapy, Holly E. McAnlis
Department: Chemistry
Using Computational Methods To Predict Induced Changes In The Fundamental And Overtone Nh Stretches Due To Solvent Effects, Sarah Mullen
Department: Chemistry
Exploration Of The Ring-Opening Polymerization Of Epoxidized Undecenoic Acid Derivatives, Vy Nguyen
Department: Chemistry
Why Students Struggle In General Chemistry: Understanding Open-Ended Assessment In The Chemistry 111 Classroom, Abigail M. Tarburton
Department: Chemistry; Education
Methods Of Characterization And Quantification Of Pesticides In Precipitation In Wooster, Ohio, Aaron D. Weese
Department: Chemistry
The Fading Of Intention: Photodegradation Studies Of Carmine Colorants And Their Implications In Art Conservation, Megan Elizabeth Zins
Department: Chemistry
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2021
Attempted Synthesis of a Bimetallic Cerium-Cerium Catalyst for an Improved Oxidation Method of Alcohols, Alexis Katelyn Bauer
Department: Chemistry
To Teach or Not to Teach: Identifying Skills Obtained Uniquely in Chemistry Laboratory Courses and Ways to Teach Analytical Chemistry Laboratory Remotely, Jayne E. Blinkhorn
Department: Chemistry; Education
Self-Assembled Monolayers as a Model for Photooxidation of Plastic Waste Using ATR-FTIR and Kinetic Modelling, Jenelle C. Booker
Department: Chemistry
Plant Based Monomer Synthesis for the Investigation of the Relationship Between Chain Length and Water Absorption, Cole Cavin Brennan
Department: Chemistry
Development of a Passive Sampler for Detecting PFAS Using Polymer-Organosilica Hybrid Adsorbents, Heather Hartmann
Department: Chemistry; Spanish
El concepto de autor y la originalidad en las adaptaciones de Natalia Lafourcade, Heather Hartmann
Department: Chemistry; Spanish
Analysis of Vitamin C Products for Potency and Associated Contaminants by HPLC-UV and GC-MS, Madison M. Heller
Department: Chemistry
Preserving Keith Haring’s Legacy of “Art for All” through the Study of the Chemical Degradation of Daylight Fluorescent Paints and their Constituent Rhodamine Dyes, Georgia L. Hopps-Weber
Department: Chemistry; Art and Art History
Solvent Dependence and Thermodynamics of Swell Pressure Generation by Swellable Organically-Modified Silica: Progress Towards a Physical Model to Explain Swelling, Mattaeus J. Klonowski
Department: Chemistry; Physics
The Synthesis of Bio-Based Degradable Super Absorbent Polymers Through Employment of Multimetallic Catalysts, Kamron Knowlton
Department: Chemistry
A Breech in Time: Identifying and Dating Historical Textiles using ATR-FT-IR and HPLC-UV/Vis, Brianna M. McKeen
Department: Chemistry; History
Effect of Concentration on Photo-oxidation of Butenedioic Acids Isomers by Hydroxyl Radicals, Xi Ning
Department: Chemistry
Multi-Step Synthesis of Small Molecules as Potential Inhibitors for MurG, Anna K. Schroeder
Department: Chemistry
Release Kinetics of Ibuprofen from Swellable Organically Modified Silica by Means of a Non-Active Release Modulator, Louis R. Schwartz
Department: Chemistry
Attempted Copolymerization of Epoxides Synthesized from Oleic and Linoleic Acids, An Tran
Department: Chemistry
Seeing Red: Investigation of the Color’s Use in Early Baroque Art and Stability Based Upon Pigment Preparation, Lilly Woerner
Department: Chemistry; Art and Art History
Investigation of Para-Aminobenzoic Acid's Photodegradation in Different pH Environments under UVB Light, Jingyi Zhou
Department: Chemistry; Mathematics
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2020
Determining the Effects of pH on the Kinetics of Acid-Catalyzed Reactions of α- and β-pinene oxide, Philip Carter
Department: Chemistry
Identification of the Photoproducts of UVB Irradiated Warfarin in an Aqueous Environment, Rebecca N. Hopkins
Department: Chemistry
The Radical World of Aerosols: Heterogeneous Oxidation of Hydrocarbons by Hydroxyl Radicals using Infrared Spectroscopy, Ethan Kahrl
Department: Chemistry
Synthesis of Methyl oxirane-2-carboxylate from Acrylic acid for Subsequent Copolymerization of Plant-derived Epoxide Monomers, Minjoo Kang
Department: Chemistry
Cobalt Catalyzed Hydrosilylation of Terminal Alkenes for Synthesis of Bis(trimethoxysilylethyl)benzene, Elijah Learn
Department: Chemistry
Exploring the Three-Dimensional Structure of Calix[4]arene-capped Azobenzenes Using VT-NMR, NOESY, and Computational Methods, Chloe A. Litts
Department: Chemistry
Effect of Heavy Metal Ions on the Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange with Various WO3 as the Photocatalysts, Yumeng Li
Department: Chemistry
Thermodynamic Evaluation of the Relationship Between Hydrogen-π Bonding Interactions and Solvent Polarity in an N-methylacetamide and Benzene system, Nedas Matulionis
Department: Chemistry
The Impact of Solvent Viscosity on the Cis to Trans Isomerization of Calix[4]arene Capped Azobenzene, John Patrick Nugent
Department: Chemistry
Attempted Synthesis of Polymers Using Epoxidized Plant-Based Fatty Acid Monomers with Potential Absorbent Properties, H. Cooper Pewitt
Department: Chemistry
Multiphase Reactions of Methylglyoxal and Gas-Phase Methylamine, Linh Pham
Department: Chemistry
What’s in the Water? Examining Contamination by Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Rainwater, Kyndal A. Pike
Department: Chemistry; Mathematics
Synthesis of O-nitrobenzyl Esters and Their Host-Guest Photochemistry, Sophia Rovenko
Department: Chemistry
Expression, Purification, and Crystallization of S. aureus MurG: Towards Structural Characterization of a Putative Antibiotic Target, Leman WI Simpson
Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Chemistry
How Ionic Strength Affects the pKa of SOA Components: An Examination of Oxalate and Sulfate Equilibria Systems, Katherine V. Strickert
Department: Chemistry
Synthesis of Potential Small-Molecule Inhibitors for MurG, a Glycosyltransferase Involved in Bacterial Cell Wall Biosynthesis, Regan N. Szalay
Department: Chemistry
Investigating and Comparing the Relationship Between pH, Ionic Strength, and pKa for Atmospherically Relevant Inorganic and Organic Acid-Base Equilibrium Systems, David A. Trujillo
Department: Chemistry
Kinetics and Products of Hydroxyl Radical Initiated Reactions with Long Chain Alkanes in the Atmosphere, Wesley J. Wagner
Department: Chemistry
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2019
Don’t Go Chasing Water: Investigating the Role of Water on the Binding Strength of Dibenzo-24-Crown-8 and Dibenzylammonium Hexafluorophosphate, Samantha Adusumilli
Department: Chemistry
Analysis of Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) by Chromatography in Precipitation Samples Collected in Northeast Ohio, Brittany M. Bowman
Department: Chemistry
Investigation of π-Stacking in Swellable Organically Modified Silica using Novel Synthesis Strategies, Duncan Crow
Department: Chemistry
I Am Dye-ing Here: A Kinetic and Structural Study of Carminic Acid and Its Photodegradation, Elliott D. Detrich
Department: Chemistry
Adapting the Photocyclization Isomerization of 2-Acetylbenzaldehyde into 3-Methylphthalide to a Continuous Flow System, Colin Ford
Department: Chemistry
Elucidating the Impact of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Hawaii: An Interdisciplinary Study Involving Chemical Detection and Aquatic Toxicology, Christopher Good
Department: Chemistry
Analysis of Photo-Physicochemical Properties and Stabilities of Alizarin and Purpurin, Yukun Jin
Department: Chemistry
Modeling of a Passive Sampler Based on Swellable Organically-Modified Silica, Gabriela F. Jocas
Department: Chemistry
The Method Development and Qualitative Characterization of Organosulfates in Rainwater by LC-MS, Zachary Lyon
Department: Chemistry
All Aboard! The Identification of Inhibitor Candidates for the Bacterial Enzyme MurG via Molecular Docking Simulations, Ian D'Arcy Mundy
Department: Chemistry
Degrading Diesel Fuel and WD-40®: Method Development for Characterizing Oxidation of Thin Layer Alkanes, Cody Park
Department: Chemistry
Please, Be My Guest! Quantifying Association Constants Between Cationic Guest Species and Tetrapropoxycalix[4]arene as a Model for Calix[4]arene-Capped Azobenzene, Leah J. Scharlott
Department: Chemistry
Go with the Flow: The Synthesis of Benzo-15-crown-5 Through the Application of Flow Chemistry, Juliette A. Shea
Department: Chemistry
Development of Cationic Polymer-Organosilica Porous Materials for the Adsorption of Perfluoroalkyl Sulfonates and Carboxylates from Water, Eva K. Stebel
Department: Chemistry
Investigation of the Aqueous Photodegradation of Ortho-Substituted Aminobenzoic Acid Derivatives Under UVC Light, Rose D. Taylor
Department: Chemistry; Mathematics
Evaluating Bases for the Synthesis of Dibenzo-24-Crown-8 Ether with a Methyl Viologen Template, David Thomas
Department: Chemistry
Enhancing Petroleum Production: Investigation of Oil/Water Separation Method for Chemical Injection Enhanced Oil Recovery Technology Using Swellable Organically Modified Silica, Hyuga Uchida
Department: Chemistry
Investigating Reaction Conditions for the Esterification of Benzoic Acid Using Swellable Organically Modified Silica and Observed Spectrographic Shifts of Encapsulated Carbonyls, Charles Milbergs VanDenburgh
Department: Chemistry
Production and Quantification of Brown Carbon from Multiphase Reactions of Methylglyoxal with Gas-Phase Methylamine, Erika Arlene Womack
Department: Chemistry
Toward Inhibitors of MurG: Identifying Fragments That Could Bind to MurG as a Starting Point for Inhibitors of Bacterial Cell Wall Biosynthesis, Rada Zunich
Department: Chemistry
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2018
Probing the Activity of [(n6-p-cymene)RuCl2(P(R)3)] Complexes for the Metal-Catalyzed Oxidative Coupling of Alcohols and Amines, Brady Bunnell
Department: Chemistry
Investigation of Carminic Acid Photodegradation: Separation, Analysis, and Characterization of Photoproducts, Margaret F. Heller
Department: Chemistry
Chasing the Light: Determining a Consistent Method of Device Fabrication for Single-Layered Organic Light Emitting Diodes, Austinjit S. Khara
Department: Chemistry
Evaluation of Organosilica Sorbent Media as an Adsorbent for the Removal of Perfluoroalkyl Substances from Contaminated Groundwater, Michaela Lawrence
Department: Chemistry
Elucidating the Mechanism of 6-Hydroxynicotinate 3-Monooxygenase, an Enzyme Involved in the Aerobic Degradation of Nicotinate, Kent Nakamoto
Department: Chemistry
Evaluation of Fluorinated Swellable Organically-Modified Silica for the Adsorption of Perfluoroalkyl Substances, Huan Khoa Nguyen
Department: Chemistry