As a University of Miami undergraduate, my past research was on the creation of molecular wires using synthesized peptides. By using synthetic peptides, molecular wires of any length can be made in a single batch process. This novel process is more efficient and precise than the current industrial process of creating wires of different lengths.

The molecular wire experiments tested whether peptides, or small strings of amino acids, could form wires that transmitted an electric current. Lengths of histidine peptides were created through solid-phase synthesis. The peptides were purified, characterized, and visualized with molecular modeling using molecular mechanics. Metallic atoms were bound to histidine peptides, forming a linear molecular wire. Electric conductivity analyses were done to test whether the molecular wires had conductance properties similar to normal metal wires.

Molecular models from right: histidine-2 and histidine-3

As a side project, I also researched the molecular properties of ruthenium (III) terpyridine chloride (Ru(III)(terpy)Cl3). Previous published articles referred to Ru(III)(terpy)Cl3 as a monomer, or a one-unit molecule. However, the interpretation of a mass spectrum and NMR analyses indicated that it is a dimer, or a two-unit molecule. Several molecular conformations were proposed through modeling to illustrate the dimer's appearance.

Possible molecular models of Ru(III)(terpy)Cl3