Title: Use of molecular logic gates for the tuning of fluorescent chemosensors
Department: Chemistry
Description: Fluorescent chemosensors are molecules that allow chemists to quantify substances. They have several applications such as quantification of certain ions in the blood, the detection of heavy metals in the environment and etc. Selectivity is one of the major concerns when dealing with chemosensors; it is necessary for the probe to be responsive to a certain concentration range of the analyte. This task has been traditionally achieved by altering the binding site of the chemosensor to change its affinity for the analyte. This project will explore whether or not multiple binding sites can be used to change the effective range of a fluorescent chemosensor. Previous research would suggest that the addition of a second binding site would serve as an "AND" logic gate, meaning that a fluorescence response is only generated when both binding sites are occupied, thus changing the effective range of the probe.
Hometown: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Advisor: Christopher Abelt
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