Carbonic Acid Hemimesters: Nitrogen and Membrane Compounds

• Grant number: 18/23768-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: June 01, 2019
• End date: May 20, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Claudimir Lucio Do Lago
• Grantee: Meisam Hasheminejad
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/13137-5 - Formation and properties of hemiesters of carbonic acid in aqueous medium, AP.TEM

Abstract

Over the past few years, our group has studied carbonic acid hemiesters (HECAs) spontaneously formed in aqueous medium from bicarbonate and a compound having at least one alcohol group. Within this line, the formation and properties of HECAs of primary, secondary and cyclic aliphatic alcohols, as well as sugars and simple polyols have been demonstrated. In the present project, the focus will be nitrogen compounds and some cell membrane compounds. Mono-, di- and triethanolamine, choline, panthenol, serine and threonine will be investigated. These last three are of particular interest in evaluating the possible formation of HECAs of proteins. Although not nitrogenated, cholesterol will also be investigated as it is also an important component of cell membrane and because strategies aimed at a compound of low solubility, such as this, should aid in future studies of proteins. A question still of particular interest for the study of HECAs in membranes is its acidity, which would allow to infer about permeability of these compounds. Previously developed techniques based on capillary electrophoresis, mass spectrometry and 13C NMR, as well as new strategies based on Surface Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) and 1H NMR will be used. We hope to contribute to the expansion of the knowledge of this class of compounds, mainly by the development of analytical strategies for the detection and determination of properties.