Research Interests
Thomas W. Nalli, Professor of Chemistry
Recently a major interest of ours has been the study of some novel new polyphosphonium salts. For example, we have reacted 1,4-bis(bromomethyl)benzene with 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene to form a phosphonium polymer. We believe that this is the first time that the simple SN2 reaction of a phosphine with an alkyl halide has been used as the basis for an addition polymerization.
Another long time interest has concerned how to use visible-light-initiated radical-chain chemistry of an iodonium salt with a trialkoxy phosphine to form reactive trialkoxyphosphonium salts that can start cationic polymerization of epoxide monomers. See http://oasys2.confex.com/acs/235nm/techprogram/P1137708.HTM.
Our collaborations on Mississippi River research have involved using NMR and GC/MS to help answer basic questions about stress levels and diet of various marine organisms.
Some students and their research projects from 2010-2011:
- Celia Frieler Formation of New Polyphosphonium Salts from bis(diphenylphosphino)acetylene or bis(diphenylphosphino)butane with α,α’-dibromo-p-xylene
- Colby Skar Preparation and Characterization of a New Branched Polyphosphonium Polymer
- Khoi N. Van Preparation and characterization of a new polyether polyphosphonium salt
- Tanner McDaniel GC-MS
Identification of unknown constituents in lipid
extracts from biota sampled from the Upper Mississippi
River
