Research Clusters
Ionic Liquids Cluster
| This cluster includes faculty engaged in developing green syntheses of Room Temperature Ionic Liquids (RTIL) of industrial interest. The group includes synthetic organic, analytical and theoretical chemists engaged in the formation and characterization of novel ionic liquids. Investigations also include studies of the molecular environment of lanthanide metals dissolved in ionic liquids and the use of RTILs to separate metals from waste streams.
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Natural Products Cluster
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Cluster members are involved in the natural products isolation from botanicals of relevance to Native American culture as foods and/or medicines. There is also research on derivatization of natural gums extracted from plants native to South Dakota that have potential industrial applications. Others are interested on procedures for improved synthesis of biodiesel and conversion of livestock waste into value added products derived from secondary metabolites of algae. Members:
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Photodynamics and Nanostructured Materials Cluster
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Research involves projects related to: the photocatalytic breakdown of organic pollutants using nano-sized semiconductors; developing nanostructured and/or thin film phosphor materials; luminescence sensors involving solid-state quantum dots and homogenous solution chemistry; excited-state relaxation dynamics of lanthanides; optical behavior of self-assembled monolayers on semiconductors; laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition, and dynamics of molecules in intense electromagnetic fields. Members:
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Bioactive Molecules
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Research in this cluster includes developing organic models for biomolecular function; molecular-structure function relationships in cytotoxicity; synthesis of novel luminescence tags, and analytical detection of biomolecules and pesticide metabolites in food products. Members:
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Chemical Education
| For those interested in research related to chemical education, please contact us. |