|
|
Merlyn D. Schuh |
Department of Chemistry
|
|
|
|
Teaching: CHE 115 and CHE 405 Research Interests: Dr. Schuh and his students are involved in three areas of research – 1)
fundamental behavior of phosphorescent complexes of cyclodextrins and
bromonaphthalenes and their use as biosensors, 2) effect of nonaqueous
solvents on enzyme kinetics of horseradish peroxidase, and 3) induction of
helix formation in proteins by fluorinated alcohols. Brominated naphthalene
derivatives (BN) of different size and polarity form phosphorescent molecular
complexes with alpha-cyclodextrin (CD) in which BN is sandwiched between two
CDs. We are using the dramatic sensitivity of the phosphorescence lifetime to
the BN structure, temperature, and presence of other molecules in the
solution in order to learn about the interactions that are necessary for
complex formation and to develop optical sensors of therapeutic drugs.
Fluorinated alcohols and dialcohols are unusually effective in inducing the
structure of proteins to fold into predominantly helical structures. We are
trying to better understand the mechanism for this process, which has
relevance to protein folding in general and the cause of amyloid diseases,
such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Schuh and his
students have coauthored publications describing this research in scientific
journals and have presented the research at national and international
chemistry meetings.
Selected Publications (student names in
bold print): · R. O. Bussey, III and Merlyn D. Schuh, “Quantitation of naproxen by quenching of phosphorescence from a ternary complex of 2-bromo-6-methoxynaphthalene and -cyclodextrin.” J. Inclusion. Phenom. Mol. Recognit. Chem. 57 (2007) 163-167.· G. Barratt Park, David M. Brown and Merlyn D. Schuh, “Binary and Ternary Complexes Containing "-Cyclodextrin and Naphthalene Derivatives: A Note of Caution in Interpreting Spectral Data,” J. Phys. Chem. B 110 (2006) 22,510-22,516.· M. D. Schuh and Melinda C. Baldwin*, “Alph-Helix Formation in Melittin and Beta-Lactoglobulin A Induced by Fluorinated Dialcohols,” J. Phys. Chem. B 110 (2006) 10903-10909.· M. D. Schuh and R. Elizabeth Brewster, “Phosphorescent Molecular Thermometer based on the Stability of an α-Cyclodextrin Complex,” The Spectrum 17 (2004) 28-29.· R. E. Brewster, B. F. Teresa, M. D. Schuh, “Inclusion Complexes of 6-Bromo-2-Naphthol (Guest) and α-Cyclodextrin (Host): Thermodynamics of the Binary Complex and First-Reported Dynamics of a Triplet-State Guest/Host2 Complex,” J. Phys. Chem. A 107 (2003) 10,521-10,526; 108 (2004) 2802.· D. N. Blauch, M. D. Schuh and Felix Carroll, “Determination of the Natural Abundance of Krypton and Xenon Isotopes Using Mass Spectrometry: A Demonstration of Isotopes and the Basis of Atomic Mass,” J. Chem. Ed. 79 (2002) 584-587.· B. A. Bondesen and M. D. Schuh, “Circular Dichroism of Globular Proteins,” J. Chem. Ed. 78 (2001) 1244-1247.· R. E. Brewster, M. J. Kidd and M. D. Schuh, “Optical Thermometer Based on the Stability of a Phosphorescent 6-Bromo-2-naphthol/"-cyclodextrin2 Ternary Complex,” Chem. Comm. (2001) 1134-1135.· A. I. Coates, M. P. Cooke, R. Feezor and M. D. Schuh, "Dependence of Heme Accessibility in Horseradish Peroxidase on Ca2+," J. Inorg. Biochem. 72 (1998) 63. |
|
|
 |
 |
Science & Math at Davidson |