The University of Missouri-St. Louis and NSF will jointly fund the renovation of chemistry research laboratory space in 29-year old Benton Hall. The primary objectives of the renovation effort will be the installation of additional fume hoods and the replacement of deteriorated cabinet bench space. Benton Hall was the first building constructed on the St. Louis campus when it was opened in 1966 and served a number of purposes: classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, and the library. With the recent completion of a research wing addition to the building, chemistry has been able to gain more research space, but five of the original labs in Benton Hall have not undergone any remodeling. The spaces will be used by 3 faculty and a total of 20 others including post doctoral fellows and graduate and undergraduate students. All are pursuing one of three primary research programs: transition metal organometallic chemistry, organometallic research with an emphasis on structural chemistry, and computational and polymer chemistry. Some of the research involves computer assisted design and synthesis of polymer and bioactive molecules, including the design and optimization of ballistic- and laser- hardened polymers; and the synthesis and characterization of biomimetic synthetic analogs of the so-called natural antifreeze proteins and deicers and anti-icers. Upgrading the space in Benton Hall will almost complete the University's 1985 goal and subsequent efforts to improve research opportunities in chemistry. During that year, the University Board of Curators identified several programs in the Missouri system as future Centers of Eminence. A total of eight programs were selected, and the Department of Chemistry at UM-St. Louis was the only one selected on that campus, as well as the only chemistry program selected within the system. The NSF-supported renovations will provide additional, safe fume hood space as well as replace corroded cabinetry. The result will be an environment in which and chemicals can be used safely. It will also provide the opportunity for pursuit of catalytic chemistry, complementing current work which is confined to stoichiometric chemistry. The physical improvements are expected to increase the number of student researchers, (30% of whom are female and 10% of whom are minorities) working in organometallic chemistry.
