Honors Program
Office of Research and Experimential Learning
Student Research

Organic Chemistry

• Synthesis of Dioxo - Analogs of Elenic Acid
• Asymmetric Synthesis Using Chiral Mercury Salts
• Alternative Methods for the Instruction of Organic Chemistry Using Visualization and Animation Technologies

Inorganic Chemistry

• Summary of Summer 2007
• Summary of Summer 2006
• Summary of Summer 2005

Biochemistry

• Preparation of an Expression Vector for Ferrochelatase Carrying the gene for Kanamycin Resistance
   

Physical Chemistry

• A Clearer Picture of Air Pollution
• The Electronic Structure of Tantalum Oxide [1 MB PDF]
• Spectral Studies of the Diatomic Molecule Deuterium Iodide

General Chemistry

• An Analysis of How Science Research is Transformed by the Media

Research

Asymmetric Synthesis Using Chiral Mercury salts

Michael Danielson, Rebecca Cowan Hoye and William A. Smit
Department of Chemistry, Macalester College

This project involves attempts to synthesize a molecule having asymmetrical centers through the use of chiral salts of mercury. The ability to execute stereospecific synthesis is important to the pharmaceutical industry. The synthesis being attempted is:

The stereochemistry of the product is anticipated to be directed by the stereochemistry of the component "X." Biochemical systems, such as the human body, respond only to compounds or drugs having specific configuration. Development of these methods will allow pharmaceutical chemists to perform efficient stereospecific syntheses.

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