Warmuth, Ralf

Project Description

Research in the Warmuth group involves the multi-component assembly of molecular containers and nanocapsules using Schiff base chemistry and the application of these capsules in molecular recognition, catalysis, as nanoreactors and for drug delivery. A possible undergraduate student project would involve the synthesis of suitable building blocks and the optimization of reaction conditions for their assembly into molecular capsules. As part of this, the student will get insight into the design of multi-step synthesis of small organic molecules and learn diverse laboratory techniques that are common to synthesis, isolation, purification and characterization of small and medium-sized organic molecules. The student will also get hands-on experience in the recording and interpretation of NMR and mass spectra, and in analytical techniques such as HPLC and gel permeation chromatography. Undergraduate students will be supervised by graduate students in the Warmuth group and are expected to work more and more independently as their project progresses.

Qualifications

GPA:  3.5-4.0

Course Experience:

  • General Chemistry: required
  • Organic Chemistry (Chm307 or Chm315 and Chm308 or Chm316): preferred
  • Organic Chemistry Laboratory (Chm 309 and Chm 310): preferred

Current Undergraduate Researchers

  • Gina S. Chang
  • Albin A. Mammen
  • Yuliya Nemtsova
  • Shaotang Yuan

Publications with Undergraduate Co-authors

Templated dynamic cryptophane formation in water. Cécile Givelet, Junling Sun, Di Xu, Thomas J. Emge, Ashwini Dhokte and Ralf Warmuth. Chem. Commun., 2011, 47, 4511 - 4513.

One-Pot 18 Component Synthesis of an Octahedral Nanocontainer Molecule. Xuejun Liu, Yong Liu, Gina Li, Ralf Warmuth, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl., 2006, 45, 901-904.