Professor Li-June Ming, Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Program of the Chemistry Division to develop structure-activity relationships based on the structures, activities and mechanisms of a family of natural minimalistic systems - metallopeptides. Specifically, metal-binding sites of metalloproteins and natural metallopeptides will serve as the blueprints for the pursuit of the structure-activity correlations in oxidation and hydroxylation reactions (catechols and phenol). The results of the proposed research are expected to provide a molecular and mechanistic basis for metal-oxygen chemistry and to further the design of catalysts for green chemical synthesis. Undergraduate and graduate students in this project will gain interdisciplinary training in inorganic chemistry, chemical and biological catalysis, and physical methods (kinetics and thermodynamics via optical spectroscopy and magnetic resonance techniques). Undergraduates are particularly encouraged to become involved in research early in their careers as this better prepares them for graduate or other professional programs.
