Research
Chemical Education Research: Pedagogical transformation of the chemistry curriculum via the use and integration of small, mobile instruments for laboratory enhancement (SMILE). The major goal of the project is to design, develop, implement, and assess the construction and use of small-scale instruments in the chemistry curriculum at the high school and college levels. The project focuses on the use of low-cost, low-maintenance student-built instrumentation to enliven, invigorate, promote and enhance competency in STEM subject matter. The core of the proposal includes the development of materials aimed at instructing faculty and teachers in the practical implementation of scientific instrumentation, as well as modules in critical evaluation, revision and enhancement of curricular materials. The following instruments have been a part of the SMILE program over the past eleven years: NMR solid-state probe (installed in a commercial 400 MHz instrument), colorimeter, fluorometer, diamond-anvil cell (coupled to a commercial Raman), barcode scanner, GC-FID, ion chromatography instrument, dissolved oxygen probe, cyclic voltammeter, DNA oligomer sensor, UV-VIS grating-based photodiode array spectrometer, Spec 20 conversion to a scanning instrument, CE-chip, and a few others. New SMILE prototypes are in constant development.
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Student-built NMR probe project in CHEM 423W.
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Student-built "Ion" (Microparticle) -Trap project in CHEM 423W. Trapping of 40-um diameter Lycopodium spores.
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Chromatography-based Research Applications: Our work involves theoretical and spectroscopic investigations of the structures and properties of chemical substances of environmental and forensic concern. Novel stationary phases: The principal aim of the research is to develop a suite of silane coatings (HPLC, GC, SPME) with a high-degree of selectivity towards target analytes and mixed-mode phases with broad selectivity coupled with multiple component analysis to recover individual analyte information. Analysis and detection of antidepressants and other environmental contaminants: Development, optimization and validation of sample extraction, clean-up, and LC-MS/GC-MS methods. Antidepressants are the most heavily prescribed class of drugs today and are often co-factors in drug overdose cases. Both antidepressants and many other human waste by-products survive the wastewater treatment process, and therefore, are of environmental and human health concern.
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Synthetic procedure for our PAH-based Solid-Phase Microextraction Fiber.
Consulting: Method development and validation, diagnostic testing, and troubleshooting spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques applied to issues of environmental and forensic concern. Recent work includes: developing simple diagnostic tests for automobile coating defects, conducting performance tests on novel coatings for LC-based applications; LC method development and validation for sensitive nucleic acid moieties; testing and troubleshooting LC stationary phases; and the detection and quantification of target compounds for arson and suspicious animal death investigations, suspected drug cases, and environmental monitoring. All consulting work is performed by students in the senior-level instrumental analysis courses, CHEM 423W (spectroscopy) and 425W (chromatography), under the supervision of Dr. Sykes. These courses are designed to provide students with hands-on training with research-grade instrumentation while working on current real-world applications.
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Consulting Activities:
1. Georgia Innocence Project
2. Silcotek, Bellefonte, PA: Evaluation of a novel coating for a) HPLC columns for use with sensitive (easily degraded) biomolecules and b) beer fermentation.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
4. American Analytical, State College, PA: Development and validation of new solid-phase extraction moieties.
5. APIC Corporation, Culver City, CA: Determination of absolute molar absorptivities of interferents in photoacoustic-based sensor detection of IEDs.
6. Best Instrument Co., State College, PA: Evaluation of flow meters for testing and calibration of HPLC pump systems.
7. Supelco, Bellefonte, PA: Troubleshooting manufacturing issues with existing HPLC product lines; development of new HPLC and SPME stationary phases.
8. New Jersey State Police Division of Forensic Sciences, Hamilton, NJ: troubleshooting issues with LC-MS instruments and LC-MSn method development.
9. Animal Diagnostics Laboratory, University Park, PA: Accelerant identification in arson-related death of a canine. Ongoing consultation on arson-related animal deaths including expert testimony.
10. Pennsylvania State Fire Marshal’s Office, Harrisburg, PA: Ongoing consultation related to arson investigations including expert testimony.
11. Penn State University Police and Public Safety, University Park, PA: Identification of suspect materials (drugs) and paraphernalia.
12. Applied Research Labs, University Park, PA: Development and optimization of screening methods for capsaicin and related compounds in pepper sprays.
13. Materials Characterization Lab/PPG, University Park/Pittsburgh, PA: Development of a color test to detect amine blush in automobile paint coatings.
