With support from the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry (MSN) Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Badji? at the Ohio State University examines novel ways for effectively removing pharmaceutical and agricultural waste in our water systems. Through surface runoffs and ground water, pesticides and their degradation products find their way into the living world. Moreover, the illicit drug use and the overdose epidemic are on the rise and are also contaminating waste streams. To provide solutions to these challenges, Professor Badji? and his group are making cup-shaped compounds to trap and remove environmental waste and/or illicit drugs from our water systems. In this project, Professor Badji? and his group design specific molecular structures using computational and experimental chemistry methods. By studying these basket-shaped molecules, he expands the understanding of which molecular structures would be most effective in the capture of toxic species. Professor Badji? provides training and mentoring to his graduate and undergraduate students. He also gives public talk about environmental and health related problems in society, suggesting ways to use supramolecular chemistry to address these concerns.
The first objective of this project is to design, prepare and study the mode of action of sophisticated abiotic hosts that are complementary to biologically-active organic molecules. With amino acids preorganized at the rim of chiral ABC hosts that have three different amino acids (A, B, and C) at top of a cup-shaped cavitand, Professor Badji? studies the encapsulation of important drugs and pesticides. The second objective is centered on scrutinizing chiral differentiation of pharmaceuticals and herbicides with ABC baskets and developing tools for directing the sequestration and removal processes. The third objective, use dynamic covalent chemistry to investigate the preparation of covalent basket cages (CBCs) and their binding of organophosphorus pesticides. CBCs could trap four organophosphorus compounds in an allosteric manner resulting in the effective sequestration of these toxic substances. The research project engages a large number of undergraduates in research and educates the general public (through the Center of Science and Industry) about the importance of basic science in solving real-world problems.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
