Honors College Theses

Publication Date

4-12-2016

Major

Chemistry (B.S.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (restricted to Georgia Southern)

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Hans Schanz

Abstract

The goal of this research is on the development of ROMP (Ring Opening Methathesis Polymerization) polymers containing the functional groups 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperdin-1-oxyl (TEMPO) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Both functional groups are known to have a detoxifying effect on cell-free hemoglobin and affect vasodilation in the bloodstream. The polymers when bonded to cell-free hemoglobin may be useful for the treatment of severe traumatic brain injuries as they convert the reactive oxygen species (ROS), in particular the superoxide anion, released by the cell-free hemoglobin into less harmful species. Such modified hemoglobin solutions could be used as a blood substitute with an improved shelf life than donor blood and while possessing a high compatibility with any recipient. The focus is designing a synthesis that can connect these functionalities to a modified (oxa)norbornene monomer template using the Huisgen 1,3-cycloaddition reaction, also known as the click reaction. It was found that the click reaction can be performed with two protocols, 1) the use of copper (I) iodide in acetone at room temperature and 2) the use of copper (II) sulfate, ascorbic acid, and sodium bicarbonate in a methanol/water mixture. The controlled ROMP strained norbornene entity with a 3rd generation Grubbs-type olefin metathesis catalyst provides a polymer with a controlled functional group density and composition.

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