Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2015

Degree Type

Honors College Thesis

Department

Chemistry and Biochemistry

First Advisor

Karl Wallace

Abstract

A class of compounds called “legal highs” is known to be psychoactive. These substances provide the user with a psychoactive experience or a “high.” They are not currently illegal by any governing body. The aim of this study was to design and synthesize molecular probes to target “legal highs”. Upon binding, a color change or fluorescence change can occur, which would imply that the drug is present. Psychoactive drugs generally contain an amine functional group. The sensors synthesized in this project bind to the amine functional group, which result in a spectroscopic response. Structural elucidation was carried out by Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR). Additionally, UV-Vis spectroscopy was utilized to determine any colorimetric change. This study contributes to the field of drug recognition and molecular design.

Available for download on Tuesday, March 02, 2219

Included in

Chemistry Commons

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