University of Pittsburgh;
October 12th, 2017 – Fall Seminar
Time and Location: Noon in Meyerhoff Chemistry, Room 120
Host: Dr. Katherine Seley-Radtke
Fluorometric and colorimetric approaches based on organic synthetic methods
Abstract: Trace chemicals are analyzed by instrument-intensive techniques such as inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). My laboratory has been developing reactivity-based high throughput analysis of heavy metals and ozone. In collaboration with Merck Research Laboratories, we have developed and implemented a colorimetric method to quantify palladium. This method is based on palladium catalysis that cleaves an allylic carbon-oxygen bond to unmask resorufin. We also developed fluorometric methods to detect specific RNA, mercury ions, and ozone. We will also discuss fluorescence-based kinetic studies on a Tsuji-Trost reaction that revealed new mechanistic insights on the palladium catalysis.