This award in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program supports Professors Karen Brewer and Brenda Winkel to study the visible-light-induced interactions of a new class of supramolecular complexes that couple charge transfer light absorbers into a central rhodium core. The DNA reactivity derives from a unique metal-metal charge transfer excited (MMCT) state. Specific goals are to: 1) construct photochemically activated supramolecular assemblies displaying visible light induced interactions with DNA, 2) establish basic chemical knowledge necessary to exploit the previously unexplored MMCT excited state for oxygen independent photoactivated reactivity with DNA, 3) study the visible light induced interaction of supramolecular complexes with DNA, 4) modify the supramolecular architecture to enhance photoactivated reactions with DNA. Results would generate fundamental photochemical knowledge applicable to DNA detection and analysis, photodynamic therapy and the potential sterilization of blood and other biomedical fluids.
New ways of cutting DNA with visible light will be developed with potential biotechnology applications. Students would be trained in an interdisciplinary environment with two female professors serving as mentors. Outreach to local K-12 would be conducted by the professors, graduate students, and undergraduate students from the project team and would include on site visits to classrooms, after school programs, and establishing science clubs within local K-12 institutions.
