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Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 7Synthesis of Eco-friendlyPlasticizers Using Curcumingdi-ethersJosé A. SaltosFaculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnaswami RajaDepartment of ChemistryPlasticizers are widely used for their effectivenessin reducing the hardness, density, melt viscosity,glass transition temperature and volume resistivityof a polymer. They are employed in a wide range ofindustries such as the biomedical, construction,plastics, and more. Phthalate esters are the mostwidely used plasticizers for their suitableapplications and availability, and account for 92% ofthe plasticizers produced worldwide. Its limitationlies in that phthalate esters have been reported tomigrate out of the polymers, making them lessflexible and less efficient. It is also associated withendocrine disruption, reproductive anddevelopmental toxicity in humans, and withnegative environmental impact on plants andanimals. Curcumin is the active ingredient in thecurry spice turmeric, it is generally regarded as safeby the FDA. The molecule is rigid in structure withtwo phenolic groups that can be modifiedcovalently. We plan to synthesize green eco-friendlyplasticizers based on curcumin and tetrahydrocurcumin, by reacting the molecules withbromohexane, bromododecane andbromohexadecane to produce curcumin andtetrahydro curcumin diether derivatives. Theseplasticizers will be blended to three differentpolymers: PMMA, PVC and Polystyrene in variouspercentages: 35%, 45% and 55%, to test theireffectiveness in inducing depression of the glasstransition temperature in the polymer/plasticizersystem. The Curcumin/THC plasticizers we plan toproduce are better from both ecological andtoxicological viewpoints.P O S T E R 8Synthesis of CurcuminIncorporated Copolymersvia ATRPFrantz Pierre Toussaint, Jr.Faculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnaswami RajaDepartment of ChemistryThe chemical synthesis of therapeutically relevant,well-defined high molecular weight polyphenols isvery rare. We propose to employ the followingstrategy: synthesizing living polymers in which theside chain pendant groups and the polymer chainend possess orthogonal reactivity, followed by theattachment of a number of water soluble,biocompatible moieties and appropriately designedcurcumin derivatives to the reactive polymer sidechains. In one embodiment embodiment Glycidylmethacrylate will be polymerized via Atom TransferRadical Polymerization (ATRP) using an azideincorporated initiator. The resulting polymer will befurther reacted with varying ratios of monocarboxylicacid derivatives of curcumin followedby commercially available Glucuronic acid in twosequential ring-opening esterification steps toproduce libraries of polymers with varying loadingsof curcumin. The glucose component of thepolymers serves to improve the water solubility ofthe polymers.32
Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 9Clicked’ Sweet-Curcumin:Modulator of Amyloid-βAggregation at Ultra-lowConcentrationsDinali ObeysekeraFaculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnaswami RajaDepartment of ChemistryWe have developed a general strategy towardsmono-functional derivatives of curcumin, the activeingredient in turmeric (the dried rhizomes ofCurcuma longa). The synthesis of a water/plasmasoluble, non-toxic, biocompatible derivative ofcurcumin with amplified bio-efficacy in modulatingAβ aggregation is presented. Curcumin monoalkynewas ‘clicked’ with commercially availableacetal-protected galactose azide. The deprotectedcurcumin ‘clicked’ galactose [sweet-curcumin] isfreely soluble in water. Sweet-curcumin inhibits Aβaggregation at significantly lower concentrationscompared to curcumin. Where curcumin barelyinhibits Aβ aggregation at a concentration of 8 μM,sweet-curcumin inhibits aggregation atconcentrations as low as 8 nM. It was found to be amore powerful antioxidant than curcumin. A MTTassay on cultured hippocampal slices of mousebrainindicated that the sweet-curcumin ispotentially neuroprotective and non-cytotoxic. ThusSweet-curcumin is a promising Green-drugcandidate against AD.P O S T E R 1 0Housing Bubble in ChinaDaniel BloisFaculty Mentor: Professor Alan ZimmermanDepartment of BusinessWith the Global Collapse of 2008, which wascreated from a housing bubble in the United States,much research has been done to prevent it fromhappening again. Currently, China, which recentlytook the spot as the second largest economy in theworld, is going through a similar housing bubble.Unfortunately, despite their growing importancenot much has been written about thisphenomenon. This study will show that medianhome prices in China are greater than medianincome. It will further show home prices, whenadjusted for inflation, provide a small modestreturn. The findings of this study will show howclose China’s bubble is to bursting and whatmeasures can be done to prevent it. As the worldbecomes a more unified economy, pricespeculations have the ability to take down globaleconomies; this research is a further exploration ofhow to prevent this.33
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