Biological Chemistry |>>

Many of the forefronts in science rest at the interface between biology and chemistry. Our department has a strong interest in interdisciplinary biological chemistry. Interests in the department include protein folding, dynamics, enzymology, structure/function, biomarkers, inhibitors, screening and modeling of biological compounds and molecules.

Computational and Theoretical Chemistry

The four research groups in theory and computation are involved in a diverse range of research topics including nanomaterials, biological processes, and the electronic and optical properties of molecules and clusters.  The groups have combined expertise in quantum chemistry, molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations, distributed and high performance computing, and coarse-graining methods.  The department also houses the University's Center for Molecular and Materials Simulations.

Diversity-Oriented Synthesis

Diversity-Oriented Synthesis represents the synthesis of relatively small libraries of organic molecules that are structurally more complex, have a greater variety of core structures, and possess richer stereochemical variations than those produced by traditional combinatorial chemistry.

Materials and Nanoscience

From synthesis to physical measurement to theory, chemistry is at the core of the broad field of nanoscience. Many faculty members in the department of chemistry actively pursue cutting-edge nanoscience research. Synthetic groups develop new methods for generating novel fluorescent nanoparticles, nanotubes, well-defined macromolecules, colloidal-crystal arrays, and nanoporous materials. Analytical and physical groups probe and harness the unique properties of nanostructures for the development of ultra-sensitive sensors for biomolecules and trace gases. Theoretical groups model and predict the behavior of molecules and other nanoscale phenomena. All of these efforts involve collaborations not only between different groups in chemistry (analytical, biological, organic, inorganic, theory, and physical) but also leading researchers in various departments at Pitt including physics, engineering, biology, and medicine. Therefore, participating graduate students and postdocs develop a strong foundation in chemistry and benefit from an enriching multidisciplinary educational experience. Many Chemistry faculty are members of the Petersen Institute of NanoScience and Engineering. The PINSE is an integrated, multidisciplinary organization that brings coherence to the University's research efforts and resources in the fields of nanoscale science and engineering.

Electrochemistry

Electrochemistry offers an unique opportunity to investigate a variety of chemical processes at interfaces. Several research groups in our department study the fundamentals and applications of electrochemistry, which creates interdisciplinary research areas that span chemistry, physics, biology, and material/nano sciences. We take advantage of the powerful electrochemical approach to synthesize and characterize novel polymer/nano materials and also develop sensor devices. For instance, the high sensitivity and selectivity of our electrochemical sensors allow for in-situ monitoring of biologically important molecules such as DNA, neurotransmitters, and drugs at trace level. We are also interested in understanding how electrons, ions, and molecules are transported at solid/liquid, liquid/liquid, and membrane interfaces. To answer these questions, we develop new electrochemical methods as well as control interfacial structures at the molecular level.

Natural Product Synthesis

Natural product total synthesis provides a core component of many of the organic research programs. Natural product synthesis provides essential validation of newly developed reaction technologies, leads for developing new chemotherapeutic agents, and architectural inspiration for diversity-oriented synthesis. As a result, natural product synthesis is heavily integrated with medicinal and combinatorial chemistry as well as the traditional organic chemistry disciplines.

Spectroscopy

Spectroscopy is the method of choice in the determination of structure and function in chemical systems. Beyond the usual array of spectroscopic instrumentation (NMR, ESR, microwave, IR and Raman, UV/VIS, fluorescence, and XRay), many research groups in the Department are involved in the development of new methods of characterization and analysis of molecules in the gas and condensed phases. These include the development of nanostructures for optical sensing of chemical and biological transformations, determinations of the structures and dynamical properties of biologically relevant molecules using high resolution lasers, measuring distance constraints between two units on a macromolecule using pulsed ESR methods, new forms of spectroscopy for the detection of protein folding in real time, femtosecond laser studies of metal surfaces and semiconductor interfaces, and ab initio computations for the prediction of spectra and chiroptical phenomena in complex systems.