2019 ACS Puerto Rico Senior Technical Meeting Book of abstracts

42nd Senior Technical Meeting – November 9, 2019
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42nd SENIOR TECHNICAL MEETING
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
PUERTO RICO SECTION
NSF-CREST-CIRE2N and NSF-PREM-CIE2M
Scientific approaches to celebrate the International Year of
the Periodic Table
NOVEMBER 9, 2019
MAYAGUEZ RESORT AND CASINO
MAYAGUEZ, PUERTO RICO

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42ND SENIOR TECHNICAL
MEETING

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ACS – PUERTO RICO - BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair: Ángela González Mederos
Chair Elect: Myrna Otaño
Past Chair: Carlos Cabrera Martínez
Secretary: Angel G. Colón Santiago
Treasurer: Jorge Colón Rivera
NE Subsection Chairperson: Laura Santiago Pérez
SW Subsection Chairperson: Wilfredo Ayala López
Councilors: Nestor Carballeira
Edmy Ferrer Torres
Jorge Colón Rivera
Juan López Garriga
Alternate Councilors: Orlando Morales Martínez
Sara Delgado
Angel G. Colón Santiago
Brenda Ramos Santana

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ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Ángela González Mederos
Edmy Ferrer Torres
Jorge Colón Rivera
REGISTRATION COMMITTEE
Jorge Colón Rivera
Carolina Pellicier
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Edmy Ferrer Torres
Jorge Colón Rivera
Wilfredo Ayala
BOOK OF ABSTRACTS COMMITTEE
FLOOR COORDINATORS
Edmy Ferrer Torres

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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
Welcome to our 42nd Senior Technical Meeting!
This year, we are celebrating that the wide range of research done in Puerto Rico is as diverse
as our Periodic Table, which is celebrating 150 years. This meeting gathered three great plenary
speakers sharing with us the latest research in forensic sciences, energy production and
electrochemistry. We also have about 40 oral presentations and over 90 posters, where you will
enjoy science directly from those that create it: our Puerto Rican researchers. This year we also
have projects with Entrepreneurial projections. Look in the book of abstracts to learn how those
scientific researches may be transformed or already are a business. This is our first harvest from
the efforts that our section has been doing to encourage our scientists to pursue entrepreneurship
with their discoveries. Do not miss those presentations, in our oral and poster sessions!
We are also honored to present the ACS-PR Chemical Education Award to Dr. Carlos Cabrera
Martínez. This award honors educators that have helped to guide students and our section
to success. Dr. Cabrera, besides being a great professor, has been Chair of our section in 1996
and 2018, and crucial to the success of our Section Meetings. His diligence, humility, friendly
character and great laugh have made his participation in our Section memorable. Therefore, we
thank Dr. Cabrera for his commitment towards his students, our section and scientific research
advancement.
Our section will also recognize the effort of our Student Chapters. We started a Recognition to
Service Commitment of our student chapters. We recognize that our Chapters are a valuable part
of our Section. Their work, passion, and youth bring new ideas, opportunities and engage us in
new roads. Their work is done, even when they have heavy class loads along with part-time jobs.
Therefore, we want to recognize that effort, this year as International Year of the Periodic Table,
we start to build a Periodic Table of Service. The Chapters being recognized this year are UPR
Arecibo, Mayagüez, Rio Piedras and Bayamón, Inter American University-San Germán and
Ponce. Do not miss the recognition ceremony later in the afternoon, to honor these young
leaders. Continuing with our students, thanks to one of our sponsors, we are going to have
a Poster Presentation Award. Even though we recognize that all the presenters are doing a great
job, because they are building the science of the future, our faculty will select three of the best
poster presentations, both written and oral. These presenters will receive a monetary award
sponsored by JEOL.
This Senior Technical Meeting must thank NSF PREM and the Florida International University for
their support. We also thanks Dr. Luis Echegoyen and ACS for sponsoring the reception at the
end of the meeting. This will be a great opportunity to release stress, enjoy with great people and
start our Christmas celebration, so do not miss it!
Finally, I would like to acknowledge our Section Secretary, Angel Colón Santiago, for his help
organizing our meeting, and to the 2019 ACS-PR Board of Directors for their support, and trust
gave to us to organize the best scientific meeting in Puerto Rico: the Senior Technical Meeting.
Thanks for coming and enjoy our Senior!
Ángela González-Mederos, Ph.D.
Chair, ACS Puerto Rico Section

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GENERAL PROGRAM
Saturday, November 9, 2019
6:30 AM Registration and breakfast
Room: Lobby
8:30 AM
WELCOME REMARKS:
Ángela González Mederos, Ph.D., 2019 Chair ACS Puerto Rico Section
Room: CC2
8:35 AM
PLENARY LECTURE I
Physical evidence examinations and comparisons; from basic research to standardized
forensic practice.
José R. Almirall, Ph.D.
International Forensic Research Institute, Florida International University, FL
Room: CC2
Moderator: Milagros Delgado, Ph.D.
9:35 AM
CONCURRENT ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Rooms: CC2, Victoria, Flamboyán, Escofier
11:35 AM
PLENARY LECTURE II
Energy Conversion and Storage: Novel Materials and Operando Methods
Héctor D. Abruña, Ph.D.
Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology and Center for Alkaline Based Energy Solutions
(CABES), Energy Materials Center at Cornell (emc2)
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York,
Room: CC2
Moderator: Carlos Cabrera, Ph.D.
12:35 PM
Lunch and 2019 Education Award Presentation
Room: CC2
1:40 PM
PLENARY LECTURE III
Actinide-based Buckyball maracas: Fullerene cages as nanocontainers that stabilize
monometallic and actinide clusters inside
Luis Echegoyen, Ph.D.
President Elect, American Chemical Society
Room: CC2
Moderator: Jorge Colón, Ph.D.
2:40 PM
CONCURRENT ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Rooms: CC2, Victoria, Flamboyán, Escofier
4:40 PM NETWORKING BREAK
4:40 PM
STUDENT CHAPTER AWARDS
Room: Escofier
Moderator: Ángela González Mederos Ph.D.
5:10 PM
POSTER SESSION
Room: CC1
Moderator: Edmy Ferrer Torres Ph.D.
7:00 PM ACS President-Elect’s Reception / Cocktail

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ORAL SESSIONS
Session A - Room: Flamboyán
Moderator: Celia Osorio Ph.D
9:35 AM A1 Molybdenum-Catalyzed Hydrodeoxygenation of Tartaric Acid to Succinic Acid
Nacy, A. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Campus
9:55 AM A2 Unraveling Estrogen-Metabolizing Microbial Bioprospects in the Guanica Dry
Forest
Soriano, B. University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez Campus
10:15 AM A3 Influence of Dilution Rate and pH Control in the Growth Rate of P. vulgaris
During Batch Simulations of a Wastewater Continuous Bioreactor Cardona-
Vélez, W. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
10:35 AM A4 Block-Copolymer Derived Nanoporous Thin Films for the Development of a L-
BMAA Aptamer-Based Biosensor
Santiago-Maldonado, X. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
10:55 AM A5 Ecotoxicity of nanomaterials in marine ecosystems through the study of the
metabolic response of Vibrio fischeri as a model microorganism
Torres-Díaz, M. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
Session B - Room: CC2
Moderator: Ricardo Noriega
9:35 AM B1 Commercialization Analysis of the Cell Manufacturing Industry
Hernández-Torres, M. University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez Campus
9:55 AM B2 Puerto Rico and the Cell Therapies Manufacturing Global Value Chain: Detailed
Mapping of the Existing Pharma/Biotechnology Industry in Puerto Rico
Hernández-Rovira, M. University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez Campus
10:15 AM B3 Polymers and Aptamer-Modified Microelectrodes for the Selectively Detection of
Neuropeptide Y.
López, L. Universidad Ana G. Méndez - Gurabo Campus
10:35 AM B4 Reprogramming an iron(II)- and 2-(oxo)-glutarate-dependent hydroxylase to
halogenate aliphatic N-succinyl-L-amino acids.
Rivera-Pomales, P. Penn State University
10:55 AM B5 Hydrogen Sulfide Inhibits Reactive Oxygen Species in Hemeproteins
Peroxidative Reactions via Sulfheme Derivatives
López-Garriga, J. University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez Campus
11:15 AM B6 Zirconium phosphate for electrocatalysis of the oxygen evolution reaction of
water splitting
Colón, J. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus

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Session C - Room: Victoria
Moderator: Wilfredo Ayala Ph.D.
9:35 AM C1 Traceability of raw material batches in a pharmaceutical continuous
manufacturing system
Sanchez-Paternina, A. University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez Campus
9:55 AM C2 Nano-Engineered Mortars with Pozzolanic Material for Structural Parchment
Castro, A. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Campus
10:15 AM C3 Synthesis and Characterization of Cu Oxide Nanostructures Grown by a
VaporSolid Process
Torres, D., Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Bayamon Campus
10:35 AM C4 Using GCxGC-HRTOFMS and DART-HRTOFMS to Analyze Complex Materials
Dane, J. JEOL USA, Inc.
10:55 AM C5 Potential Application of Polysaccharides in the Manufacture of electronics
devices
Chaves-Baldovino, E. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
Session D - Room: Escoffier
Moderator: Mitk'El B. Santiago-Berrios Ph.D.
9:35 AM D1 Directly Predicting Onset Potentials from Structural Properties of Graphene-
Supported Single-Atom Electrocatalysts by Machine Learning
Lin, S. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
9:55 AM D2 Synthesizing a Novel Janus Carbon Nano-Onions Modified as a Support for
Electrocatalytic Nanoparticles
Del Valle-Pérez, A. Universidad Ana G. Méndez - Gurabo Campus
10:15 AM D3 The Synthesis of Cu2O@Pt nanoshuttles and their application as
Electrocatalysts for ammonia oxidation and oxygen reduction
Liu, X. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
10:35 AM D4 Exploring a New Class of PGM-free Catalyst for Electrocatalytic Production of
Hydrogen Peroxide
Del Pilar-Albaladejo, J. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
10:55 AM D5 Metal Oxide Inclusion In Polycrystalline Platinum Nanoparticles For A Cost-
Effective Ammonia Oxidation Electrocatalyst
Huertas, N. Universidad Ana G. Méndez
11:15 AM D6 Biotemplated synthesis of brookite nanoparticles for anodes in dye-sensitized
solar cells
Quiñones-Vélez, G. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus

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Session E - Room: CC2
Moderator: Ileana González-González Ph.D.
2:40 PM E1 Synthesis of Square Planar and Octahedral Metal Phthalocyanine Complexes
for the Development of Gas Sensors for Oxidizing Gases
González-Espiet, J. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
3:00 PM E2 Medicament disposal practices used by people in Puerto Rico western towns.
Rosado, R. Inter American University of Puerto Rico - San Germán Campus
3:20 PM E3 Evaluating Vibrio fischeri as a Bioindicator of Ecotoxicity
Somohano-Short, J. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
3:40 PM E4 Results of short bioblitzes at the Pterocarpus Forest at Palmas del Mar
Pastor-Dávila, M. Universidad Ana G. Méndez
4:00 PM E5 Initial vegetation cover regeneration of a coastal urban wetland after hurricane
Impacts: Ciénaga Las Cucharillas.
Hernández, H. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
Session F – Room: Victoria
Moderator: Vilmalí López-Mejías Ph.D.
2:40 PM F1 Biodegradable Chitosan Matrix Composite Reinforced with Titanium Dioxide for
Biocidal Applications
López-Calero, J. University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez Campus
3:00 PM F2 Evaluation of Antibacterial and Cytotoxicity Activity of Novel Carvacrol
Derivatives
Colón-Alicea, J. Universidad Ana G. Méndez - Gurabo Campus
3:20 PM F3 Growth of Proteus Vulgaris In Human Synthetic Urine for an Ureolysis System
Barreto-Vazquez, D. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
3:40 PM F4 Global and Local Structural Changes of Catalase Induced by Persulfidation
Pietri-Meléndez, R. University of Puerto Rico - Cayey Campus
4:00 PM F5 Puerto Rico and the Cell Therapies Manufacturing Global Value Chain:
Insurance Logistics and Treatment Coverage Alternatives
Vélez, D. University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez Campus

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Session G - Room: Flamboyán
Moderator: Claribel Báez Ph.D.
2:40 PM G1 Viability and CYP-450 Activity of HEP-G2 Cells after exposure to CdSTe QDs.
Alamo-Nole, L. Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, Ponce
3:00 PM G2 Implementation of lyotropic liquid crystals for the functionalization of bio-reactive
forward osmosis membranes.
Santiago-Martoral, L. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
3:20 PM G3 Study of Al11Ce3 Distribution in Aluminum Matrix Produced via Centrifugal
Casting.
De Jesús-López, M. University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez Campus
3:40 PM G4 Big Data Driven High-throughput strategy to Screen and Design of Novel 2D
Materials from Non-vdW Bulk Materials.
Gu, J. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
4:00 PM G5 Characterization of surfactant-colloidal particle interactions towards the
development of a composite system for enhancing efficiency of green
detergents.
Pagán-Aponte, N. University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus
4:20 PM G6 Influence of chemically-functionalized gold nanoparticles on emulsions of
thermotropic liquid crystals
Zabala-Rodríguez, K. University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez Campus
Session H: - Room: Escofier
Moderator: Raquel Feliciano Ph.D.
2:40 PM H1 Hydrogen peroxide production by the ORR pathway using CoxZn1-xO materials
in alkaline media
Santiago-Berríos, M. Universidad Ana G. Méndez - Cupey Campus
3:00 PM H2 Electrochemical Synthesis of Polymers on Carbon Nano-Onions as catalytic
support for Oxygen Reduction Reaction by RoDSE Technique
Vargas-Pérez, B. Universidad Ana G. Méndez - Gurabo Campus
3:20 PM H3 Conversion of 1,4-Anhydroerythritol to Tetrahydrofuran using MoOx-Pd/TiO2
catalysts
Albarracín, S. University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez Campus
3:40 PM H4 PtNi-Nanowires as catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) in Alkaline
Medium
Soto-Pérez, J. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
4:00 PM H5 Fabrication of aluminum welding fillers reinforced with niobium diboride
nanoparticles for aerospace applications
Burgos-León, N. University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez Campus

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Speakers
Bio sketches

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José R. Almirall
José R. Almirall is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Director
Emeritus of the International Forensic Research Institute at Florida International University and
Director of the National Science Foundation-funded Center for Advanced Research in Forensic
Science (CARFS). He was a practicing forensic scientist at the Miami-Dade Police Department
Crime Laboratory for 12 years, where he testified in over 100 criminal cases in state and federal
courts prior to his academic appointment at FIU in 1998. Professor Almirall has authored one
book and ~ 140 peer-reviewed scientific publications in the field of analytical and forensic
chemistry. The interests of Prof. Almirall’s research group include fundamental analytical
chemistry and the development of analytical chemistry tools for use in forensic science including
materials analyses using LA-ICP-MS and detection and identification of small organic compounds
such as drugs, explosives, ignitable liquid residues and gunshot residue. His research group has
developed novel air sampling tools to improve the detection and preconcentration of VOCs of
interest to forensic scientists. Dr. Almirall is also interested in the standardization of analytical
methods used by forensic scientists and currently leads a global effort to standardize the analysis
of glass evidence using LA-ICP-MS and the interpretation of the data for use in courts of law.
Prof. Almirall is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) since 1998, past
member of the editorial board of the Journal of Forensic Sciences and Editor-in-Chief of Forensic
Chemistry, an Elsevier journal.

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Héctor D. Abruña
Professor Abruña, Émile M. Chamot Professor of Chemistry, is Director of the Center for Alkaline
Based Energy Solutions (CABES) and the Energy Materials Center at Cornell (emc2). He
completed his graduate studies with Royce W. Murray and Thomas J. Meyer at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1980 and was a postdoctoral research associate with Allen J.
Bard at the University of Texas at Austin from 1980-81. After a brief stay at the University of
Puerto Rico, he joined Cornell in 1983. He was Chair of the Department of Chemistry and
Chemical Biology from 2004-2008. Prof. Abruña has been the recipient of numerous awards
including a Presidential Young Investigator Award, A. P. Sloan Fellowship, J. S. Guggenheim
Fellowship and J. W. Fulbright Senior Fellow. He is the recipient of the Electrochemistry Award
for the American Chemical Society (2008), and the C.N. Reilley Award in Electrochemistry for
2007. He was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in
2007, member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2007 and Fellow of the
International Society of Electrochemistry in 2008. He received the D. C. Grahame Award from
the Electrochemical Society for 2009, the Faraday Medal of the Royal Society for 2011, the Brian
Conway Prize from the International Society of Electrochemistry for 2013, was named Fellow of
the Electrochemical Society in 2013 and in 2017 was the recipient of the Gold Medal of the
International Society of Electrochemistry. Most recently, he was elected member of the National
Academy of Sciences (2018) was awarded the A. J. Bard Award of the Electrochemical Society
(2019) and the Frumkin Medal of the International Society of Electrochemistry (2019). Prof.
Abruña is the co-author of over 490 publications (h-index = 99) and has given over 630 invited
lectures world-wide. He considers his 56 Ph.D. students and 70 Post-Doctoral associates as his
most important professional achievement.

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Luis A. Echegoyen
Luis Echegoyen has been the Robert A. Welch Chair Professor of Chemistry at the University of
Texas at El Paso since August 2010 and was elected President of the American Chemical Society
in 2018, so he will serve as president elect in 2019 and as president in 2020. He was the Director
of the Chemistry Division at the National Science Foundation from August, 2006 until August,
2010 where he was instrumental in establishing new funding programs and research centers. He
was simultaneously a Professor of Chemistry at Clemson University in South Carolina, where he
maintained a very active research program with interests in fullerene electrochemistry, monolayer
films, supramolecular chemistry, endohedral fullerene chemistry and electrochemistry; and
carbon nanoonions, synthesis, derivatization and fractionation. He served as Chair for the
Department of Chemistry at Clemson from 2002 until his NSF appointment. Luis has published
426 research articles and 47 book chapters and his current h index is 83 (Google Scholar, 11-1-
19). He was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2003
and has been the recipient of many awards, including the 1996 Florida ACS Award, the 1997
University of Miami Provost Award for Excellence in Research, the 2007 Herty Medal Award from
the ACS Georgia Section, the 2007 Clemson University Presidential Award for Excellence in
Research, and the 2007 University of Puerto Rico Distinguished Alumnus Award. He was also
selected as an ACS Fellow in 2011 and was the first recipient of the ACS Award for Recognizing
Underrepresented Minorities in Chemistry for Excellence in Research & Development, also in
2011. Luis is a coveted speaker who has to his record over 469 scientific invited lectures and
presentations. He has delivered several named lectureships in places like Northwestern
University, Georgia Tech., UC-Riverside and is a member of several international advisory
boards, such as the IMDEA-Nanoscience Center in Madrid and Physical Chemistry of Solid
Surfaces (PCOSS) Center at Xiamen University in China. He has been the editor in chief of the
Journal of Physical Organic Chemistry, a Wiley publication, since 2010.
Luis was born in Habana, Cuba in 1951. His family moved to Puerto Rico in 1960, where he spent
his formative years. He received a BS in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. He was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of
Wisconsin, Madison, and a research scientist at Union Carbide Corporation in Bound Brook, New
Jersey. Realizing that his vocation was in academic research and teaching, he returned as
Assistant Professor to the University of Puerto Rico in 1977. Luis was invited to serve as Program
Officer in the Chemical Dynamics Program at NSF in 1981, and he held a simultaneous Adjunct

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Associate Professor position at the University of Maryland, College Park during his work at the
NSF. He moved to the University of Miami in 1982, where he served as Associate Professor and
Professor for 18 years. While at Miami, he took two very rewarding sabbatical leaves: one at Louis
Pasteur University in Strasbourg, France in 1990, where he collaborated with Professor Jean-
Marie Lehn, and a second one at the ETH in Zurich, Switzerland in 1997, where he worked with
Professor François Diederich. Luis maintains active research collaborations with researchers in
Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Poland and all across the US. Luis has been
continuously funded since the start of his academic career, and is proud to have directed the
research of a very large number of undergraduate and graduate students in Puerto Rico, Miami,
Clemson and Texas, all of whom have gone on to successful academic, professional, and
industrial careers.

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2019 Excellence in
Chemistry Education
Award

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Dr. Carlos Cabrera
Professor Carlos R. Cabrera is Director of the NSF-PREM Center for Interfacial Electrochemistry
for Energy Materials (CIE2M) and the NSF-CREST Center for Innovation, Research and
Education in Environmental Nanotechnology (CIRE2N) Programs at the Río Piedras Campus. He
obtained a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Cornell University in 1987, under the supervision of Professor
Héctor Abruña. He then was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Texas at
Austin from 1987 to 1989 working with Prof. Allen Bard. He started as an Assistant Professor at
the Department of Chemistry of the University of Puerto Rico in 1989, where he is now a Full
Professor. He was a NASA Administrator Fellow at the NASA Glenn Research Center in 2000-
2001. His research interests are in the areas of nanomaterials for alkaline fuel cells, dye sensitized
solar cells, microbial fuel cells, and nanobiosensors. He founded the Nanoscopy Facility at UPR
with UPR and NASA-URC funds, was the first Scientific Director of the UPR’s Molecular Sciences
Research Center, and was Associate Vice-President for Research and Development of the UPR
System. He has over 200 highly cited publications in peer-reviewed journals and has contributed
to seven textbooks. He is in the Editorial Board as Associate Editor for Journal of Nanotechnology,
and has been a member of the Editorial Review Board and Associate Editor of Research Letters
in Nanotechnology, and Journal of Nano Education.
He has helped develop state-of-the-art infrastructure and has been a pioneer in Puerto Rico and
the Caribbean in establishing various centers for nanotechnology research and other new areas
of chemistry. In these centers he has brought collaborations with researchers from numerous
institutions, such as NASA Glenn Research Center, Ames Research Center, Johnson Space
Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Langley Research Center, Brookhaven National
Laboratory , Cornell University and its Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), and
the Universidad de Alicante, among others.
Prof. Cabrera has received numerous awards, such as the Scholarly Productivity Award (SPA)-
EPSCoR, UPR in 1989-2001, the Excellence in Teaching and Productivity Award, UPR in1998,
the University of Puerto Rico President’s Research Award in 2000, he was named Professor-
Researcher of the year in 2007 given by the Chemistry Graduate Student Society at UPR, and
won the Igaravídez Award from the Puerto Rico Section of the American Chemical Society in

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2010. He has won over 40 competitive research grants from different agencies such as the
National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),
and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), among others, and has distinguished himself as
scientific entrepreneur with the establishment of companies where sensors for the detection of
diseases have been developed.
Prof. Cabrera has taught more than ten different courses during his career at UPR and is one of
a few professors who has given courses beyond UPR through distance learning from Cornell
University and Brookhaven National Laboratory, with students from UPR and other institutions.
He has been a mentor of over 100 undergraduate students and over 40 graduate students (35
who have obtained Ph.D. and 8 M.S. degrees). Through the centers that he has established he
has contributed to the formation of over 1,000 preschool to university students and the
development of new faculty, including the creation of the NanoSummer Camp sponsored by the
Center for Advanced Nanoscale Materials (funded by NASA-University Research Center) which
trained 12 High School teachers and students per year at UPR-Río Piedras, Mayagüez, and
Cayey campuses in nanotechnology. He was a member of the Steering Committee of the NIH-
BUILDing SCHOLARS Center at UT-El Paso, and Vice-Chair of INCREASE (Interdisciplinary
Consortium for Research and Educational Access in Science and Engineering). His commitment
to the quality of education in our country is reflected in all his education and knowledge
dissemination initiatives in his research centers, which provide opportunities to teachers,
students, researchers and the community.
Professor Cabrera was President of the Puerto Rico Section of the ACS in 1996 and in 2018 and
has been in the Board of Directors of the Nanotechnology Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of the
President’s Council.

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PLENARY LECTURE
ABSTRACTS

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PL-1
Physical evidence examinations and comparisons; from basic research to
standardized forensic practice.
José R. Almirall, Ph.D.
International Forensic Research Institute, Florida International University, FL
almirall@fiu.edu
Elemental analysis of glass using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
(LA-ICP-MS) has been a standard method for the analysis and comparison of glass evidence for
some time [1-6] and is considered the “Gold Standard” in forensic glass examinations. The ASTM
E2927 method for LA-ICP-MS of float glass [7] describes the analytical measurement and
recommends a (match) criterion when comparing the multi-element data derived from this
method. This presentation describes the evolution of glass evidence examinations over the last 2
decades concluding with a collaborative effort to establish an objective and quantitative
calculation of the weight of the evidence in the comparison of glass fragments when no differences
in the multi-element analysis of glass are found, using a likelihood ratio (LR). The use of a
continuous LR provides a quantitative measure of the strength of the evidence (source level) and
accounts for the rarity of an elemental profile through the use of a glass database. In our most
recent work, two glass databases were used to evaluate the performance of the LR; the first
database comprised 420 vehicle windshield samples, while the second database comprised 398
known glass samples from casework. The two-level model proposed by Aitken, Zadora, and Lucy
was used for the calculation of the LR. However, this model led to unreasonable (too high or too
low) LRs. A Pool Adjacent Violators (PAV) algorithm post-hoc calibration step [8] was necessary
in order to improve the accuracy of the likelihood ratio. The results of the calibrated LR, and a
comparison to the match criteria currently in use is presented as a viable alternative for the
reporting of the weight of glass evidence that is both objective and quantitative [9-11].
1.Trejos, T. and Almirall J.R., Effect of fractionation on the elemental analysis of glass using laser ablation
inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), Analytical Chemistry, 2004, 76(5) 1236-1242.
2.Latkoczy, C., Becker, S., Ducking, M., Gunther, D., Hoogewerff, J.A., Almirall, J.R., et al., Development
and evaluation of a standard method for the quantitative determination of elements in float glass samples
by LA-ICP-MS, Journal of Forensic Science, Vol 50, No. 6, 2006, 1327.
3.Weis, P., Dücking, M., Watzke, P., Menges, S., Becker, S., Establishing a match criterion in forensic
comparison analysis of float glass using LA-ICP-MS. J. Anal. At. Spectrom. Vol 26, 2011, 1273.
4.Trejos… Almirall, J.R., Cross-validation and evaluation of the performance of methods for the elemental
analysis of glass by μ-XRF, ICP-MS, and LA-ICP-MS, Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 405, 2013, 5393.
5.Trejos, T.… Almirall, J.R., Forensic analysis of glass by μ-XRF, SN-ICP-MS, LA-ICP-MS and LA-ICP-
OES: evaluation of the performance of different criteria for comparing elemental composition, J. Anal. At.
Spectrom. Vol 28, 2013, 1270.
6.Dorn, H., Ruddle, D.E., Heydon, A., Burton, B., Discrimination of float glass by LA-ICP-MS: assessment
of exclusion criteria using casework samples, Can. Soc. Forensic Science, Vol 48, No. 3 2015, p. 85.
7.ASTM E2927-18, Standard Test Method for Determination of Trace Elements in Soda-Lime Glass
Samples Using Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry for Forensic Comparisons,
ASTM.
8.D. Ramos and J. Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Reliable Support: Measuring Calibration of Likelihood Ratios,
Forensic Science International, 2013, 230 (1-3) 156-169.
9.Corzo R., Hoffman T., Weis P., Franco-Pedroso J., Ramos D., and Almirall J.R., The Use of LA-ICP-MS
Databases to Estimate Likelihood Ratios for the Forensic Analysis of Glass Evidence, Talanta, 2018,
186(15) 655-661.
10.Hoffman, T., Corzo, R., …., JR Almirall, An Interlaboratory Evaluation of LA-ICP-MS Analysis of Glass
and the Use of a Database for the Interpretation of Glass Evidence, For. Chem., 2018, (11) 65-76.

22
PL-2
Energy Conversion and Storage: Novel
Materials and Operando Methods
Héctor D. Abruña
Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology and
Center for Alkaline Based Energy Solutions (CABES)
Energy Materials Center at Cornell (emc2)
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853 USA
hda1@cornell.edu
This presentation will deal with the development of new materials and operando methods for
energy conversion and storage with emphasis on fuel cells and battery materials and
technologies. The presentation will begin with a brief overview of the methods employed.
Particular emphasis will be placed on the use of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption
spectroscopy (XAS) X-ray microscopy and tomography and transmission electron microscopy
(TEM) under active potential control. The utility of these methods will be illustrated by selected
examples including electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), hydrogen oxidation
reaction (HOR) and spectroscopic studies of Li/S and Li/Se batteries and Li metal deposition and
dendritic growth. The presentation will conclude with an assessment of future directions.

23
PL-3
Actinide-based buckyball maracas: Fullerene cages as nanocontainers that
stabilize monometallic and actinide clusters inside
Luis Echegoyen1, Wenting Cai1, Josep M. Poblet2
1University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States.
2Quimica Fisica i Inorganica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
Monometallic uranium endohedral fullerene compounds with formula U@C2n where 2n =
72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84 86, 88 and 90 have been prepared in an arc-discharge reactor
using U3O8 as the starting material. Many of these have been purified using HPLC
techniques and have been fully characterized using many techniques, including MALDI
MS, UV-Vis, electrochemistry, etc, but more importantly, with single crystal X-Ray
diffractometry. Interestingly, the majority of these compounds obey the isolated pentagon
rule (IPR) so all five-membered rings are adjacent to five six-membered rings, but there
are some exceptions, namely U@C76 and U@C80, which possess non-IPR carbon cage
structures. The reason for these exceptions is due to strong interactions of U with the
cage via the metal 5f orbitals. More interestingly we have observed never-reported U-
based clusters with formula U2X (X = C, N, O, and S) encapsulated inside C2n with 2n =
72, 78 and 80. More recently, we have isolated UGd@C72 and UGd@C78 and also fully
characterized these. The most recent structural and properties on some of these
compounds will be presented and discussed.

24
ORAL PRESENTATIONS
ABSTRACTS

25
Oral Presentation
A1
Molybdenum-Catalyzed Hydrodeoxygenation of Tartaric Acid to Succinic
Acid
Nacy, A.1, Ruiz-Valentín, G.1, Pagán-Torres, Y.1, Albarracín-Suazo, S.1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Mayagüez, PR
00680
yomairaj.pagan@upr.edu
Production of high-value-added chemicals from various biomass and bio waste starting materials
has gained tremendous interest in the last two decades. Synthesis of dicarboxylic acid building
blocks from their respective sugar acid derivatives is an attractive route for the valorization of
biomass. Succinic acid (SA), also known as butanedioic acid, is a highly desirable building block
that has many industrial applications with a market value of USD 130 million/year. At present, SA
is mainly produced from the petroleum-based route through the production of maleic anhydride
intermediate. Recently, bio-based SA has been manufactured by fermentation of glucose using
engineered micro-organisms. However, it suffers from significant drawbacks, ranging from low
productivity, high nutrient requirements, and the costly downstream recovery and purification of
the final product. More recently, tartaric acid (TA) has been proposed as a viable starting material
to produce SA and its ester derivatives via deoxygenation reactions over homogeneous or
heterogeneous catalysts. However, most of these studies require the isolation of the reaction
intermediates, utilization of precious metals, and/or formation of side-reaction products. In this
work, we present a heterogeneous MoOx-Pd/TiO2 catalyst in which SA is produced by
hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of TA to SA in >96% yield. A series of MoOx-Pd/TiO2 catalysts were
synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature program reduction (TPR),
and elemental analysis with the aim of studying the effect of noble metal loading and surface
MoOx structures on the HDO of TA. Kinetic studies suggest the HDO of TA proceeds by direct C-
O bond cleavage of TA to the intermediate malic acid. Furthermore, catalyst stability studies
indicate MoOx-Pd/TiO2 retains initial HDO activity upon reuse.
KEYWORDS: Molybdenum oxide, Hydrodeoxygenation, Succinic Acid

26
Oral Presentation
A2
Unraveling Estrogen-Metabolizing Microbial Bioprospects in the Guanica
Dry Forest
Soriano, B.1, Ríos-Velázquez, C.1, Trujillo-Rodríguez, L.2
1University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus
2University of Florida
carlos.rios5@upr.edu
17-ethynylestradiol (EE2) and 17-estradiol (E2) are two estrogenic hormones that are of
ecological/human importance. Studies showed that even 1ng of EE2 affects ecosystem balance
causing the feminization of fish. Simultaneously, E2 may pose a threat to human health with a
possible link to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and breast cancer. E2 and EE2, have a
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Contaminant Monitoring Rule 3, with a minimum
reporting level of 0.0004g and 0.0009g respectively. In this study, we used previously identified
cultivable estrogen-bio-degradating-microorganisms from Guanica Dry Forrest (Guanica, PR) soil
samples. A total of 21 possible bioprospects capable of using E2 and/or EE2 as a sole carbon
source were macroscopically and microscopically characterize. The 16S sequencing
demonstrated that most of the bioprospects belonged to (but not limited) Bacillus sp. To test the
ability of estrogen degradation of the bioprospects, growth curves were done using a minimal
media (M9): without a carbon source, with glucose, and estradiol E2:EE2 (1:1). Using a Tecan
microplate reader, optical density (OD) measures were taken every thirty minutes for a total
24hour period. Using the Infostat software for statistical analysis, no statistical differences were
found on the usage of estradiol as sole carbon source as that of glucose in a 24hour time spam.
This is likely due to delayed assimilation because of the presence of the benzene in the core of
the estradiol, which entitles a ring cleavage that can be difficult to achieve. Therefore, we expect
to expand the experiment to a total of 72 hours monitoring OD for further analysis. These data
results support the biodiversity and metabolic versatility of the Guanica Dry Forest. Moreover, the
results from these experiments could potentially lead to the development of novel water
biotreatments, in the efforts of removing unwanted chemicals from our water bodies such as
hormones.

27
Oral Presentation
A3
Influence of Dilution Rate and pH Control in the Growth Rate of P. vulgaris
During Batch Simulations of a Wastewater Continuous Bioreactor
Cardona-Vélez, W.1, Barreto, D.1, Rojas, A.1, Cabrera, C.1
1University of Puerto Rico – Río Piedras Campus
wilfredo.cardona1@upr.edu
The transportation of goods to a spacecraft such as is, delivering water to the International Space
Station (ISS), is expensive. A course of action to lower cost of water supplies is to reuse
wastewater. The ISS water reclamation process is controlled by the Environmental Control and
Life Support Systems (ECLSS). The ECLSS requires to be enhanced, since the wastewater
treatment and water recovery system (WRS) has a durability limitation of approximately 74% of
water recovery. The existing recovery system decrease with time due to contaminant received
through wastewater. To provide self-sustainable technology we’re focus on WRS from urine,
which contributes >50% of the wastewater in space. Hence, developing a bacteria-based
continuous bioreactor-electrochemical reactor that can be paired with current ECLSS technology,
can increase the WRS efficiency. Herein, were explored some of the parameters required to
optimize a continuous bioreactor. The present work demonstrates the impact of controlling pH
and media flow rate in the grow rate of a P. vulgaris culture in Basal Synthetic Human Urine with
amino acid and glucose (BSHU). In contrast to previous batch experiments the bioreactor’s flow
rate and pH control simulation generate an increase in bacteria life spawn in BSHU to at least
24hr.

28
Oral Presentation
A4
Block-Copolymer Derived Nanoporous Thin Films for the Development of a
L-BMAA Aptamer-Based Biosensor
Santiago-Maldonado, X.1, Ríos—Delgado, A.1, Nicolau-López, E.1
1University of Puerto Rico – Río Piedras Campus
xaimara.santiago@upr.edu
Produced by diverse cyanobacteria, -N-methylamino-l-alanine (L-BMAA) is a non-protein
neurotoxic cyanotoxin that has been linked to an elevated incidence of neurodegenerative
diseases such Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease and Multiple Lateral Sclerosis. The
continuing rising of water temperatures and eutrophication of the water bodies propitiate the
increment and size of harmful algal blooms, subsequently increasing the production of L-BMAA
and other cyanotoxins. This toxin is known to bioaccumulate in plants, animals and humans.
Currently, the detection of L-BMAA in water is limited by its hydrophilicity, absence of ultraviolet
and fluorescent properties, and the isomers that cause false positives. Given the threat that this
cyanotoxin could represent to the long-term human health, it is imperative to develop new
analytical techniques for its detection in water. Therefore, this project proposes the development
of an impedimetric aptamer-based biosensor, using block-copolymer (BCP’s) derived nanoporous
thin films as the electrode, for the detection of L-BMAA. Our hypothesis is that the development
of such aptasensor will lead to the advancement of an innovative device for a sensitive, portable,
economic and flexible way to achieve the detection of the cyanotoxin in water. To achieve this,
we used BCP polystyrene-poly(methylmethacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA), known to form cylinder-like
structures, to create recessed nanodisk-array electrodes (RNEs). These cylindrical
nanostructures provide primary mass transport pathways for ionic and redox active species which
changes upon analyte binding, making them ideal to use in biosensing applications. The
nanoporous electrodes were prepared by spin-coating a PS-b-PMMA solution in toluene over
gold-coated silicon wafers, followed by thermal annealing and UV etching. Different annealing
times, temperatures and UV exposure has been used in order to produce the alignment of the
cylindrical polymer microdomains in a vertical fashion over the surface of the electrode. The
prepared films were characterized using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance
spectroscopy (EIS), to confirm the formation of RNE’s. Under specific sets of conditions, CV data
shows sigmoidal curves at high scan rates characteristic of RNE’s, suggesting the formation of
this type of nanopores with a sufficiently large distance among them to attain radial diffusion.
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images of the samples evidence the formation of vertical
nanopores but mixed with horizontal alignments. Furthermore, grazing incident small angle x-ray
scattering (GISAXS)11 suggests that the polymer was well-dispersed among the surface although
the expected scattering profile for RNEs is missing. Future work includes the optimization of the
electrode preparation methods and the selection of a L-BMAA specific aptamer through graphene
oxide-assisted selection evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (GO-SELEX).

29
Oral Presentation
A5
Eco toxicity of nanomaterials in marine ecosystems through the study of
the metabolic response of Vibrio fischeri as a model microorganism
Torres-Díaz, M.1, Díaz-Vázquez, L.1
1University of Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras Campus
marielys.torres2@upr.edu
The presence of emerging contaminants, specifically nanomaterials in the environment represent
a potential risk for the human health and the environment itself. Development of a monitoring
strategy for this type of contaminants is challenging the scientific community due to their chemical
variability and unpredictable behavior. There is a need for new techniques and methods to
address the analysis of nanomaterials in the environment and to understand their transformation,
migration and potential effects to the ecosystems. To overcome this problem, the use of
biomarkers has been proposed as biological indicators. Vibrio fischeri is an appropriate model
organism to study the toxicity of chemical substances in water samples because is a naturally
bioluminescent microorganism which metabolism is directly linked to the light emission process
with an enzymatic reaction. In this work, the study of the metabolic response of V. fischeri to the
exposition of nanomaterials is evaluated through untargeted metabolomics and bioluminescence
analyses. Preliminary results indicated that the presence of metallic gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)
are responsible for disruption in the metabolic pathways of V. fischeri. The AuNPs did cause
changes in the bioluminescence emission process by decreasing the measured intensities, and
in some cases the growth pattern was also affected. The effects are different, depending on the
type of nanomaterial and the surface stabilizing agents, such as peptides, polysaccharides or a
combination of biomolecules. However, a broader complementary analysis including untargeted
metabolomics, proteomics and oxidative stress response is needed to elucidate the disruption
and establish the mechanism of action.
Entrepreneurial Projections:
This project is intended to develop an analytical technique as a bioassay to address the monitoring
of nanomaterials through the marine ecosystem and the determination of their potential hazards.

30
Oral Presentation
B1
Commercialization Analysis of the Cell Manufacturing Industry
Hernández-Torres, M.1, Rivera-Campos, D.1, Zapata-Ramos, M.1,
Ruíz-Vera, I.1, Alicea-Fret, N.1
1University of Puerto Rico- Mayagüez Campus
michelle.hernandez15@upr.edu
Cell Manufacturing Technologies (CMaT), based on a National Science Foundation (NSF)
research grant, is responsible for the research and development of new technologies that will
provide affordable cell therapy treatments for cancer and degenerative diseases. The research is
important for the biotechnology industry and pharmaceutical industry because it is analyzing the
commercialization potential of cell manufacturing therapies.
CMaT is being worked on by four different academic institutions (Georgia Institute of Technology,
University of Wisconsin- Madison, University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus UPRM, and
University of Georgia), small and medium-sized enterprises, and faculty members from
engineering, sciences, and business administration. The Innovation Ecosystem of CMaT at
UPRM is working on (1) identifying market opportunities for CMaT innovators,(2) identifying a
commercialization model that is the best fit in the cell manufacturing industry, and (3) developing
a Small Business Innovation Research/ Small Business Transfer (SBIR/STTR) guide for CMaT
Innovators.
This is being achieved by analyzing the opportunities and limitations of political, economic, social,
technological, environmental, and legal (PESTEL) tendencies in the biotechnology and
biopharma industries. The results of the PESTEL analysis showed that the industry is very
competitive because of the appearance of new players in the cell manufacturing industry. Also,
the innovation ecosystem team is identifying and analyzing commercialization models within the
biotechnology sector to test, and attending entrepreneurial workshops for the development of the
SBIR/ STTR guide. The conclusion of the analysis is that in order to be successful in this type of
industry you would need to specialize in a specific type of stem cell therapy and that the
opportunities and limitations identified in the PESTEL analysis needs to be taken into
consideration when choosing a commercialization model. The team will be presenting the
conclusion of the PESTEL Analysis and recommendations of potential commercialization models.
Keywords: cell therapy, commercialization, market evaluation
Entrepreneurial Projections:
CMaT, based on an NSF research grant, is creating affordable cell based therapies to treat cancer
and degenerative diseases. The Innovation Ecosystem team within CMaT at UPRM is identifying
market opportunities in the cell manufacturing industry for the future commercialization of CMaT
innovations.

31
Oral Presentation
B2
Puerto Rico and the Cell Therapies Manufacturing Global Value Chain:
Detailed Mapping of the Existing Pharma/Biotechnology Industry in Puerto
Rico
Hernández-Rovira, M.1, Matos, G.1, Cordero, J.1, Sierra, T.1, Bonilla, L.1, De Hoyos M.1
1University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez Campus
moraima.dehoyos1@upr.edu
Cell-based therapeutics have the potential to present the scientific and medical communities with
the ability to treat life-threatening diseases with high precision and relative ease. As such, these
therapies have received plenty of attention from companies interested in mass producing and
delivering them to the public. Due to the novelty of cell-based therapeutics, production efforts are
currently confined to a limited number of facilities, and companies are in the process of expanding
to other locations. As part of the CMaT Business Administration division’s work, Puerto Rico’s
potential to become a hub for the development and manufacture of cell-based therapeutics was
studied. Key stakeholders in the island’s Biotech and Pharma industries, which include
manufacturers, organizations, higher education entities, suppliers, service providers and the
government, have been analyzed using a combination of secondary sources such as peer-
reviewed articles and government reports and exploratory interviews. Of the 30 manufacturing
companies established in Puerto Rico, five have been identified to be working with large
molecules and nineteen are known to have some involvement in the CMaT industry worldwide.
Furthermore, over 33 universities throughout the island have been identified that offer degrees in
the sciences and engineering majors that are relevant to the industry, and there are more than 86
suppliers of raw materials, equipment and supporting services. Finally, there are currently three
accredited institutions that may be able to provide these therapies to patients, as well as over 25
incentives for economic development provided by the government. In the near future, various
stakeholders of the biotech and pharmaceutical industries interviewed in depth to have a better
view of how CMaT can leverage the current state of the industry to allow Puerto Rico to play a
central role in the development and deployment of cell-based therapies.
Keywords: Cell Manufacturing, GVC, Stakeholders mapping

32
Oral Presentation
B3
Polymers and Aptamer-Modified Microelectrodes for the Selectively
Detection of Neuropeptide Y.
López, L.1, Flores, K.1, Lozano, K.1, Cunci, L.1
1Universidad Ana G. Méndez, Gurabo Campus
llopez292@email.suagm.edu
The development of fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) and amperometry was brought for a
better understanding of the brain chemistry, allowing researchers to study sub-second processes
related to electroactive biomolecules. However, there is still non-electroactive molecules for which
there are no methods available with sub-second resolution to link their release and the behaviors
reported. Neuropeptide Y (NPY), are related to many behaviors of life, such as stress, PTSD, and
eating habits. Our long-term goal is to measure different neuropeptides selectively to understand
the neurobiology of the release and degradation, as well as their mechanism of action.
Microelectrodes have been constantly used for the detection of biomolecules such as dopamine,
serotonin and neuropeptides. Modifications of the surface of the carbon microelectrode using
conductive polymers such as polypyrrole and polyaniline is often used to test the sensitivity and
selectivity of the biomolecules at the surface of the electrode. Electrochemical Impedance
Spectroscopy (EIS) has been used to measure the absorption and the relationship between the
solution at the surface of the microelectrode of different biomolecules. The main objective in this
work is to create new type of carbon microelectrodes that can measure NPY using EIS after the
separation of biomolecules done by the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) at
different time retention. Scanning Electrode Microscope (SEM) and Cyclic Voltammetry were
used to characterized the carbon fiber microelectrodes. This microelectrodes also were modified
with polymers and single strained DNA aptamers to improve the sensitivity and selectivity in the
detection of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. An electrochemical flow cell was designed and
paired with an inert high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system to characterize the
response seen in electrochemical impedance of the microelectrodes.
Keywords: Neuropeptides, Neurotransmitters, Impedance.

33
Oral Presentation
B4
Reprogramming an iron(II)- and 2-(oxo)-glutarate-dependent hydroxylase to
halogenate aliphatic N-succinyl-L-amino acids.
Rivera-Pomales, P.1, Boal, A.1, Mitchell, A.1
1Penn State University
pxr193@psu.edu
Iron(II)- and 2-(oxo)-glutarate-(Fe/2OG)-dependent oxygenases perform diverse transformations
of unactivated C-H bonds. The range of possible chemistry in this enzyme platform suggests that
catalytic activities can be reprogrammed by mutagenesis or use of substrate analogs. In this work,
we show that Fe/2OG amino acid hydroxylase SadA can be converted to a halogenase by a single
active site substitution. Substrate scope investigation shows that product partition and extent of
turnover can be modulated based on side chain identity. The work suggests that Fe/2OG
reprogramming can be exploited to install useful functional groups at inert aliphatic sites.
Keywords: (Fe/2OG)-dependent oxygenases, unactivated C-H bonds, hydroxylase, halogenase

34
Oral Presentation
B5
Hydrogen Sulfide Inhibits Reactive Oxygen Species in Hemeproteins
Peroxidative Reactions via Sulfheme Derivatives
López-Garriga, J.1
1University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus
juan.lopez16@upr.edu
Myoglobin (Mb) and Hemoglobin (Hb) bind oxygen with high affinity, and under certain conditions
generate heme compound III (Fe(III)-O-O-) species, which can produce superoxide radicals
(O2*). Similarly, heme-peroxidases like Lactoperoxidase (LPO) react with hydrogen peroxide
leading to the formation of Compound I Heme-Ferryl radical (FeIV=O*). Both of these reactive
oxygen species (ROS) produce proteins amino acids radicals, which constrain the hemeprotein
function. The discovery of the endogenous formation of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and its
physiological functions raised questions about its biological transport and chemical reactions with
relevant proteins molecules, including heme proteins. Hydrogen sulfide reacting with MbO2 and
HbO2 produces a stable SulfMb and SulfHb derivatives with a decreased oxygen affinity by 2,500
and 135 times, respectively. Curiously, LPO in the presence of H2O2 and H2S yields a sulfLPO to
LPO turnover, which is not consistent with sulfheme decomposition to regenerate hydrogen
sulfide. Pilot analysis suggests that the turnover process generates oxidized sulfur species, most
likely sulfate (SO42-) and polysulfides (HSx-x = 2-9). Therefore, the sulfheme decay does not
create a functional H2S transport pathway in biological systems. Ab-initio Quantum Mechanical
calculations of the reaction between MbO2 and rHbIGlnE7His-H2O2 complexes with hydrogen
sulfide allows defining the mechanisms of sulfheme formation. In the heme active site, H2S
donates a hydrogen atom (proton and electron) to the distal oxygen atom through homolytic
cleavage of the S-H bond to form the intermediate Ferryl Compound II leading to the sulfheme
product, with energy decays of ~ 60 kcal/mol and ~140 Kcal/mol, respectively. The results show
that Hydrogen Sulfide Inhibits the formation of stable radical intermediate species, and no radicals
or ROS species are present at the end of the reaction defining the antioxidant character of
hydrogen sulfide in these peroxidative environments.
Keywords: hydrogen sulfide, heme proteins, sulfheme species

35
Oral Presentation
B6
Zirconium phosphate for electrocatalysis of the oxygen evolution reaction
of water splitting
Colón, J.1, La Luz-Rivera, K.1, Ramos-Garcés, M.1, Sánchez, J.2, Jaramillo, T.2
1University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
2Stanford University
jorge.colon10@upr.edu
Zirconium phosphate (ZrP) is an inorganic ion-exchange material that has been extensively
studied ever since it was prepared for the first time in crystalline form more than 50 years ago.
ZrP nanoparticles have been proposed as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction of
water splitting. We recently compared the catalytic efficiency of ZrP nanoparticles ion-exchanged
with transition metals (Fe, Ni, Co) in the interior of the layers as well as in the external surface to
a system in which the metal catalyst confined exclusively to the external surface. Linear sweep
voltammetry revealed that the system with metal on the external surface is a better electrocatalyst
than the one with metals in the interior surface of the interlayers. This result prompted us to study
a system of exfoliated ZrP particles which provide only external surface to the metal ions. The
exfoliated system has higher activity that the non-exfoliated one. More recently, nanoparticles
with different morphologies (hexagonal platelets, rods, cubes, and spheres) have been studied
and their efficiency as catalysts compared. Extensive characterization of these systems with X-
ray powder diffraction, Uv-vis, IR, X-ray photoelectron, 31P-NMR, and SEM-EDS spectroscopies,
and thermogravimetric analysis are essential to study the different systems. The results of these
investigations will be presented.
Keywords:
zirconium phosphate, electrocatalysis, water splitting

36
Oral Presentation
C1
Traceability of raw material batches in a pharmaceutical continuous
manufacturing system
Sanchez-Paternina, A.1, Martínez-Cartagena, P.1, Román-Opsino, A.1,
Romanach, R.1, Jingzhe, L.1
1Center for Structured Organic Particulate Systems (C-SOPS), Department of Chemistry,
University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus,
adriluz.sanchez@upr.edu
Pharmaceutical product manufacturers have been implementing continuous production
processes as one of the main approaches to modernizing and advancing pharmaceutical
manufacturing. The traceability of raw materials needs to be addressed in continuous processes.
Characterization and modelling of residence time distribution (RTD) has been studied to evaluate
material traceability, understanding the definition of batch/lot in continuous manufacturing (CM)
process, and to reject intermediate materials or non-conforming finished products. A residence
time distribution model for a feeder, blender, and chute continuous assembly was developed via
continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) (tanks-in-series). In-line Near Infrared measurements
were collected on the chute of the continuous system to monitor step-response experiments. Two
materials that exhibit similar behavior during processing (surrogate materials) were used to
simulate switches of raw material batches. The step-response experiments where raw material
batch changes were simulated showing that the transition between the first and second batch with
an average duration of 0.38 minutes.
Keywords: Traceability, Surrogate materials, Raw material batches, Continuous manufacturing
(CM), Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), Multivariate data analysis (MDA), Variographic
analysis.

37
Oral Presentation
C2
Nano-Engineered Mortars with Pozzolanic Material for Structural
Patchment
Castro, A.1, Lorenzo, C.2, Suárez, O.M.1, Hall, K.1, Torrez, N.3
1Civil Engineering and Surveying Department, University of Puerto Rico – Mayaguez Campus
2Engineering Science and Materials, University of Puerto Rico – Mayaguez Campus
3NAVAIR, MD
alfer.castro@upr.edu
Mortars, combinations of cement, sand, and water, become concrete, the most used building
material, with the addition of gravel. When a structural element critical to the integrity of a building
suffers low to medium damages, rapid fixing becomes imperative for continued operation.
Remediation technologies to prevent the final decommission of the structure entail external
bracing, or removal of the section for subsequent reconstruction. However, the longevity of the
structure could be extended by simplifying the restoration method. Prolonging the usage period
will subsequently reduce the waste material produced by demolition. Mortars with sufficient
bonding and mechanical strength are alternative remedies to restore the original strength of the
failed structural element. In the present research, we developed a specialized mortar containing
nanostructured SiO2 that improves most of cement paste properties. The aforementioned
nanoparticles enhance the cement hydration and densify the mix. The addition of pozzolanic
material such as metakaoline and fly ash cause a secondary chemical reaction, allowing the
calcium silicate hydrate reaction to occur. These experimental mortars are evaluated in two
scenarios: compression and flexural tests of a concrete beam bearing a mortar patchment. The
compressive strength is measured at 24 hours, 7, and 28 days of aging. The optimization of the
mortar design is a key aspect in determining the most effective way of delivering the repair
methodology. This analysis is done by examining more than 20 combinations of all three main
cement-substituting materials: nanosilica, fly ash, and metakaolin. In addition, the mixtures
incorporate a water-reducing agent and an adhesive bonding admixture component. With further
enhancement, the proposed mortar will attain adequate early age strength and superior bonding
properties for a rapid restoration of the damaged structure.
Keywords: Nano-Science, Nano Particle Concrete, Structural Concrete Restoration

38
Oral Presentation
C3
Synthesis and Characterization of Cu Oxide Nanostructures Grown by a
Vapor-Solid Process
Torres, D.1, Cremades, A.2, Maestre, D.2
1Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón Campus
2Universidad Complutense de Madrid
ditorres@bayamon.inter.edu
Transparent semiconducting oxides (TSO) are essential components of high performance
electronic devices. There are few materials that exhibit simultaneously good conductivity and high
transparency in the visible part of the spectrum. Both properties are required in great diversity of
devices such as flat-panel displays. In particular, tin oxide nanostructures have started playing
important roles in energy conversion devices and optoelectronic devices. Copper doping of tin
oxide thin films has been demonstrated to improve the sensitivity and selectivity of gas sensors.
The main advantage of this method is that the resistance response could be altered by choice of
an appropriate concentration of only one acceptor or donor. Other potential applications of copper
doped tin oxide are related to their photo-catalytic activity and antibacterial behaviour.
A catalyst free vapor-solid method [1], using commercial Cu and Sn powder of 99% purity was
used as starting materials. The powder was pressed to form pellets and were annealed at 900
C under argon flow for 10 h. For the doped samples, the precursor powder was mixed and milled
using different amounts of Cu to Sn weight ratio in the initial mixture. Nanostructures with different
kind of morphology grew on the doped pellet surface, which acts simultaneously as the source of
the precursor material and as a substrate. Studies of the morphology and characterization of the
as-grown nanostructures with SEM, EDS, cathodoluminescence (CL) and Raman techniques
were performed. Doping not only induce the growing of nano- and micro-structures with different
morphologies as compared to the undoped material, but also induce changes in the Raman and
CL spectra of tin oxide.
[1] M. García-Tecedor, D. Maestre, A. Cremades, and J. Piqueras, J. Phys. Chem. C, 120 (38),
pp 22028 (2016).
Keywords:
semiconductor, nanoparticle, copper oxide

39
Oral Presentation
C4
Using GCxGC-HRTOFMS and DART-HRTOFMS to Analyze Complex
Materials
Dane, J.1
1JEOL USA, Inc
jdane@jeol.com
In this work a thermal modulator two dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) system was
interfaced to a high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer (HRTOFMS) in order to analyze
complex samples by using electron ionization (EI), field ionization (FI), photoionization (PI), and
chemical ionization (CI).In this section of the presentation, a series of studies will be presented
that involve the analysis of a variety of complex mixtures. Additionally, a comparison among the
different ionization techniques will also be presented. Direct Analysis in Real-Time (DART)-TOF
MS is a unique technology that allows for the instantaneous analysis of smaller molecules from
surfaces (typically ≤ 1000Da). Moreover, the samples can often be analyzed in their native state,
with little to no sample preparation. In this section of the presentation, a series of samples that
include natural products, counterfeit drugs, reaction monitoring, bacterial identification, as well as
other relevant materials will be presented.
Keywords: GCxGC-MS, DART, High Resolution MS, Ambient Ionization

40
Oral Presentation
C5
Potential Application of Polysaccharides in the Manufacture of electronics
devices
Chavez-Baldovino, E.1, Feng, P.1, Malca, C.1, Camacho, A.1, Díaz, L.1
1University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus
ermides.chavez@upr.edu
In the search for new biodegradable materials, of low cost and easy to synthesize by
environmentally friendly methods, this work was carried out, where we report the results of studies
on carrageenan compounds (mixture of two type of carrageenans κ and λ) with different
concentrations of nanoparticles titanium dioxide (TiO2 NPs). From the XRD data, changes in the
crystalline and amorphous phases corresponding to the carrageenan precursors and TiO2 NPs,
respectively, are observed. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measurements show a shift
from of 202 oC to 163 oC due to the presence of the TiO2 nanoparticles. Different κ-carrageenan
and λ-carrageenan peaks were identified, together with the peaks corresponding to the TiO2 NPs
in the different membranes by the FTIR technique.
Keywords: Polysaccharide, nanocomposites, biopolymers

41
Oral Presentation
D1
Directly Predicting Onset Potentials from Structural Properties of
Graphene-Supported Single-Atom Electrocatalysts by Machine Learning
Lin, S.1, Haoxiang, X.2, Wang, Y.1, Zeng, X.3, Chen, Z.1
1University of Puerto Rico -Rio Piedras Campus
2Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering
3Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska
zhongfangchen@gmail.com
Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and hydrogen evolution
reaction (HER) are three critical reactions for energy-related applications, such as water
electrolyzers and metal-air batteries. Graphene-supported single-atom catalysts (SACs) have
been widely explored; however, either experiments or density functional theory (DFT)
computations cannot screen catalysts at high speed. Herein, based on DFT computations of 104
graphene-supported M@N4 SACs, we built up prominent models to describe the underlying
pattern of structural properties and onset potentials, and employed these models to predict the
catalysis performance of 260 graphene-supported metal-nitrogen/carbon systems (M@NxCy, x
& y ≠ 0). The best 6/4/12 systems selected by predicted onset potentials were recomputed by
density functional theory (DFT) towards ORR/OER/HER reactions, among which, the best
catalysts have great onset potentials of 0.61, 1.51, and 0.003 V for ORR, OER, and HER
reactions, respectively. The machine learning models quantitatively unveiled the significance of
various descriptors and fast narrowed down the potential list of graphene-supported single-atom
catalysts.
Keywords: Electrocatalysts, Oxygen reduction reaction, Machine Learning

42
Oral Presentation
D2
Synthesizing a Novel Janus Carbon Nano-Onions Modified as a Support
For Electrocatalytic Nanoparticles
Del Valle-Pérez, A.1, González-Aponte, K.1, Reyes-Morales, J.1, Escalera-Torres, Y.1, Cunci, L.1
1Universidad Ana G. Méndez, Gurabo Campus
adel157@email.suagm.edu
Carbon materials have been awakening scientific interest for research because it allows chemical
functionalization for multiple applications in the sciences, especially in energy applications.
Carbon Nano-onions (CNO) are spherical structures composed of multilayers of fullerenes, these
layers are connected in a way that show a shape of an onion. Its development begins with the
use of nano-diamonds, a carbon material of strong structure which it forms in a very violent
environment. The nano-diamonds are taken to a furnace at a temperature of 1650°C to finally
obtain the CNO. Janus particles are receiving increasing attention because of their dual
properties, where each side can be functionalized to have distinctive characteristics. The
modifications on the surface of these nanoparticles can provide different chemical and physical
properties. The purpose of this project is to use asymmetrically modified CNO as a support for
metal nanoparticles to avoid agglomeration and, thus, increase their surface area and efficiency.
Janus nanoparticles will be designed by a wax-paraffin pickering emulsion process using CNO
on its surface. The deposition of platinum will be carrying out by two process, chemically reducing
platinum with sodium borohydride and by an electrochemical process, Rotaring Disk Electrode.
The removal process of the paraffin involves the dispersion of the wax-paraffin/CNO-Pt particles
in Chloroform and rinse with ethanol to finally obtain the amphiphilic nanoparticle. The differences
on the surface of the particles before and after removing the paraffin were observed by Scanning
Electron Microscopy. The Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy was used to validate the elemental
information of the particles and assure the deposition of 20% of Pt on the surface of the particles.
Further characterization techniques as X-ray Diffraction and Raman Spectroscopy were used to
characterize these particles.
Keywords: onion-like carbon, RDE, Platinum

43
Oral Presentation
D3
The Synthesis of Cu2O@Pt nanoshuttles and their application as
Electrocatalysts for ammonia oxidation and oxygen reduction
Liu, X.1, Cabrera, C.1
1University of Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras Campus
luciferlxy921@yahoo.com
Pt based catalysts show great promise as electrocatalysts towards both ammonia oxidation
reaction (AOR) and oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cell. Herein, Cu2O@Pt nanoshuttles
(Cu2O@Pt NSs) with several layers of Pt shell are synthesized through a room temperature
galvanic replacement method with Cu2O nanoshuttles (Cu2O NSs) as both templates and
reducing reagents. In the previous synthesis of Cu2O NSs, ascorbic acid, PVP, and NaOH are
used and reducing reagent, surfactants, and pH conditioner. The size, morphology, and surface
composition of both Cu2O NSs and Cu2O@Pt NSs are investigated by scanning electron
microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected‐area electron diffraction
(SAED), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), EDS mapping, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and X‐
ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Further, the performance towards both AOR and ORR are
compared with E-Tek Pt/C. The interaction between core compound Cu2O and surface metal Pt,
richness of Pt surface, and property of thin film are responsible for the good performance. What’s
more, this synthesis with the help of galvanic replacement on Cu2O can be applied on other noble
metals, such as Pd, Au, etc.
Keywords: ammonia oxidation, oxygen reduction, galvanic replacement

44
Oral Presentation
D4
Exploring a New Class of PGM-free Catalyst for Electrocatalytic Production
of Hydrogen Peroxide
Del Pilar-Albaladejo, J.1, Santiago, M.2, Cabrera, C.1
2Universidad Ana G. Méndez – Gurabo Campus
joselyn.pilar@upr.edu
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an alternative energy carrier to oil and hydrogen for sustainable
energy applications. However, current H2O2 production is done by oxidizing hydroquinone at
centralized locations, uses large quantities of H2 gas and is energy intensive. On the other hand,
direct electrochemical production of H2O2 provides an energy efficient and cost-effective
alternative to the traditional method in addition to enabling localized chemical production. In order
to make this process industrially viable, a high performing catalyst with good selectivity and
stability must be develop. Herein, we study the use of spinel metal ferrites, MeFO where Me =
Co, Mn and Zn, as oxygen reduction catalyst for production of H2O2. The catalysts were
synthesized by coprecipitating precursor salts with NaOH and later characterized using X-ray
diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy
(XAS). Their electrocatalytic properties were examine in O2-saturated 0.1 M KOH solution. The
highest onset potential was observed for manganese ferrite (MFO) followed by cobalt (CFO) and
zinc ferrite (ZFO) materials. Mass activity at 0.16 V followed the same trend, with MFO exhibiting
the highest activity with 7.49 mg/cm2. These findings are consistent with the literature as
manganese has a strong affinity for oxygen and H2O2 generation activity is a function of the
binding energy of absorbed OOH* species. Thermal annealing at 750 oC in air of as-synthesized
samples was found to promote formation of mixed oxide phases that resulted in a 50% decrease
in mass activity. Future in-situ XAS experiments will be performed to investigate atomic-level
changes occurring to active sites as a means to understand the origin of the electrocatalytic
properties.
Keywords: Hydrogen Peroxide, ORR, electrocatalyst, transition metal oxide

45
Oral Presentation
D5
Metal Oxide Inclusion in Polycrystalline Platinum Nanoparticles for a Cost-
Effective Ammonia Oxidation Electrocatalyst
Huertas, N.1, Rivera-Ruíz, A1., Padín-de Mello, J.1, González-González, I.1
1Universidad Ana G. Méndez
nhuertas7@email.suagm.edu
Fuel cells have been of interest for advancing renewable energy technologies. In the quest for
sustainable fuels with high energy densities, focus is currently on nitrogen-containing fuels, such
as ammonia (NH3). In principle, these sustainable fuel cells can render a carbon free energy
process. An electrocatalyst is required to catalyze the oxidation of ammonia to N2, which is only
achieved on noble metals (Pt), but their high cost is a limitation for large-scale applications. In this
work, we synthesized Pt nanoparticles by chemical reduction methods using different precursors
(K2PtCl6 or H2Pt(OH)6), then we studied the effect of metal oxide (CeO2) addition on the
electrocatalytic activity of Pt for ammonia electro-oxidation. Platinum precursors were reduced
with NaBH4 and particle size was controlled with tartaric acid as capping agent. To determine
when the metal oxide should be added to the synthesis process, 2 protocols were established.
Cyclic voltammetry was used the study the electrocatalytic activities of Pt alloys at 20 mV/s scan
rate. Apparently, there is no difference in the electrocatalytic activity for the ammonia oxidation
reaction based on the metal precursor. In the results from protocol 1, the addition of CeO2 on
samples from K2PtCl6 precursor show a slight shift to lower onset potential, which did not occur
in samples from H2Pt(OH)6 precursor. Onset potential was reduced from -0.386 V (control
sample from K2PtCl6 without CeO2) to -0.472 V when CeO2 was added. Behavior of onset
potential from protocol 2 was similar to protocol 1. SEM images and electrochemical experiments
confirmed that chlorinated Pt precursor (K2PtCl6) have higher electrochemical surface area than
non-chlorinated Pt precursor (H2Pt(OH)6). CeO2 addition to Pt nanoparticles significantly
reduced the electrochemical surface area in both precursors. We are currently exploring the
electrocatalytic activities of Pt nanoparticles when combined with other metal oxides (Ag2O and
FeOx).
Keywords: electrocatalyst, ammonia oxidation, ammonia fuel cell

46
Oral Presentation
D6
Biotemplated synthesis of brookite nanoparticles for anodes in dye-
sensitized solar cells
Quiñones-Vélez, G.1, Castro-Vázquez, A.1, Soto-Nieves, D.1, López-Mejias, V.1
vilmali.lopez@upr.edu
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have gained significant attention in materials research due to
their high photovoltaic efficiency and low cost. DSSCs require an anode, which is typically
composed of a thin film of titania (TiO2). These films present several limitations regarding their
transparency and light scattering. This results in a poor light harvesting, and low electrical
conductivity, which is also affected by the polymorphic phase of TiO2. Enhancement of the
photovoltaic conversion efficiency can be improved by modifications in the surface area and
polymorphic control of titania. In this research, surface area was increased by confining the
crystallization of TiO2 in a nano-space, thus reducing the particle size, and increasing porosity
via in situ biotemplation with hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), a biocompatible polymer, during the
synthesis. The polymorphic phase of TiO2 was controlled during calcination to obtain
preferentially brookite phase. A phase inversion temperature (PIT)-nanoemulsion synthesis
method was employed to reduce particle size. The synthesis was carried out and the resulting
material was characterized before and after calcination at 500°C. The pre-calcinated material was
analyzed by thermogravimetric and elemental analysis. Thermographs of the pre-calcinated
samples revealed polymer entrapment within the amorphous material by presenting a weight loss
(~ 45 %) at ~280°C, corresponding to HEC. Elemental analysis confirmed the presence of carbon
from the polymer. Dynamic light scattering was employed to analyze the particle size distribution
of the resulting product, which presented a size distribution range between 60-160 d.nm.. Powder
X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of TiO2 mixture of anatase and brookite phases. This
work demonstrates that biotemplated TiO2 can be synthesized within a confined space to control
its crystallization into nanometer range and achieve a semiconductor material that can potentiate
the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of the DSSCs.
Keywords:
Brookite, Biotemplation, Nanoparticles

47
Oral Presentation
E1
Synthesis of Square Planar and Octahedral Metal Phthalocyanine
Complexes for the Development of Gas Sensors for Oxidizing Gases
Gonzalez Espiet, J.1, Fonseca, L.1, Cintrón, J., Piñero-Cruz, D.1, Flores, S.1
jean.gonzalez@upr.edu
We design and synthesize innovative metal phthalocyanine complexes with different coordination
geometries for the development of sensitive and selective NOx sensors suitable for detecting and
measuring NOx at concentrations from 10 ppm to 1000 ppm. The development of these
technologies is driven by the need for live monitoring of toxic gases in the contaminated wetlands
of el Yaguazo marsh in Puerto Rico, were the high humidity affects the response of conventional
gas sensors. Modification of the macrocycle’s periphery with fluorinated moieties, as well as the
incorporation of ligands in the axial positions, enhances the sensing properties towards pollutant
gases in these environments. In this work, an octahedral iron complex was synthesized and
characterized with a variety of spectroscopic techniques, in addition to the preparation of regular
and hexadecafdluorinated square planar phthalocyanine systems. The crystallinity of the
samples, as well as the electronic transitions in the UV-Vis region were key in elucidating the
coordination of the metals to the macrocycle, which is a fundamental for the application of these
materials as gas sensors.
Keywords: chemical synthesis, coordination chemistry, gas sensors, environmental
nanotechnology

48
Oral Presentation
E2
Medicament disposal practices used by people in Puerto Rico western
towns.
Rosado-Silva, R.1, González-Mederos, A.1
1Inter American University of Puerto Rico – San Germán Campus
reylin.rosado@upr.edu
Medicaments are an essential part of human beings, either to treat or prevent diseases. However,
their effect on the environment, even at small concentrations, are of concern. Improper medicine
disposal may be one of the ways these products are reaching the soil, water, plants, and animals,
since most of the water treatment plants and solid waste disposal procedures do not remove
them. Therefore, this research gathered information on the methods of medicament disposal used
by people from west towns of Puerto Rico. Six hundred people from fifteen towns in the west area
of Puerto Rico were surveyed. Results showed that 74% of the participants had medicaments
stored at home, and 56% had pharmaceuticals at home that they did not need. The kitchen,
bedroom, and bathroom were the most common places to store these products at home. The
most common disposal was to throw them at the garbage bin, followed by throwing them in the
toilet. Most of the participants recognized that these practices may be harmful to the environment,
but 92% of the participants did not know of any program that provides pharmaceuticals collection,
and only 5% of the surveyed have ever used a program for proper disposal of these products.
These results show the need to educate on the impact of these products in the environment, and
the need to develop and apply programs that provide proper disposal of these compounds.
Keywords: Emergent contaminants, medicament disposal, environmental protection

49
Oral Presentation
E3
Evaluating Vibrio fischeri as a Bioindicator of Ecotoxicity
Somohano-Short, J.1, Torres-Díaz, M.1, Miró, E. Flores-Cruz, Z.1, Díaz-Vazquez, L.1
Jose.somohano1@upr.edu
Emerging contaminants can be defined as any synthetic or naturally occurring chemical species
that is not commonly monitored for potential risk to animals and/or other organisms. These
species, however, can be increasingly found in water bodies and water supply systems as
pollutants. Common examples are derived from pharmaceuticals, electronic materials waste, and
food wrapping and packaging. It is our understanding that elucidating the potential
ecotoxicological effects of human waste is of great ecological importance. In order to evaluate the
effects of emerging contaminants to biological systems, we utilized the gram-negative,
bioluminescent, marine bacterium, Vibrio fischeri as our model. V. fischeri was exposed to
various, biologically relevant and irrelevant, concentrations of two separate common emerging
contaminants: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and caffeine. Optical density and bioluminescence
were recorded for 24h. Neither substance was toxic to the bacterium. Preliminary data suggests
no change in the growth phenotype of all groups exposed to caffeine. Groups exposed to certain
concentrations of PFOAs appear to have a steeper logarithmic growth phase and overall more
robust growth phenotype, as compared to controls. Interestingly, there seems to be a
concentration dependent effect on bioluminescence for both substances. Caffeine upregulates
bioluminescence while PFOA downregulates it, as compared to controls. This data presents two
examples that contradict the general assumption that inhibition of bioluminescence is an accurate
indicator of toxicity. It is important to take this into consideration when performing commercially
available short-term acute toxicity assays.
Keywords: Ecotoxicity, toxicity, vibrio fischeri, emerging contaminants, bioluminescence

50
Oral Presentation
E4
Results of short bioblitzes at the Pterocarpus Forest at Palmas del Mar
Pastor-Dávila, M.1, Del Valle-Colón, C.1, Ruíz-Galarza, F.1, Cruz-Sierra, L.1, Vázquez, N.1
1Universidad Ana G. Méndez
michelle.n.pastor@gmail.com
Hurricane Maria destroyed the Pterocarpus Forest at Palmas del Mar (PFPM) in September 2017.
Since then, there has not been a comprehensive inventory of biodiversity in the forest. Bioblitzes
are typically 24-hour intensive biodiversity inventories that are conducted by a combination of
experts and citizen scientists. Bioblitzes are also used to teach about local biodiversity. This
project aimed to use repeated, short bioblitzes to document biodiversity at PFPM. Five graduate
students and one faculty member participated in three short, 30-minute, bioblitzes at the
Pterocarpus Forest at Palmas del Mar on 8/31, 9/21, and 10/12. Pictures of living organisms were
gathered using cellphones. Observations were uploaded to iNaturalist. After one week of
conducting the bioblitz, the data set was downloaded and each observation was categorized
according to its taxonomic rank. A total of 87, 131, and 151 observations of living organisms were
gathered during each bioblitz for a total of 369 observations. The most commonly observed
species by the participants was Paullinia pinnata (23), Pterocarpus officinalis (23), and
Acrostichum danaeifolium (12). The most commonly observed animal species was Anolis
stratulus (10), Eleutherodactylus coqui (8), and Coereba flaveola (6). Over time, participants
identified observations to the species rank. The percent of observations ranked to species in each
bioblitz was 31%, 38.9%, 51.7%. Most observations made during the three bioblitz were plants
(61%), fungi (16%), reptilia (7%), and aves (6%). The data gathered here can serve to document
biodiversity at PFPM during its recovery process from Hurricane Maria, educate the public, and
promote the conservation of this coastal ecosystem
Keywords: Bioblitz, Biodiversity, Wetland

51
Oral Presentation
E5
Initial vegetation cover regeneration of a coastal urban wetland after
hurricane Impacts: Ciénaga Las Cucharillas.
Hernández, E.1, Cuevas, E.2
1University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus Environmental Sciences Department
2University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus - Biology Department
Elix.hernandez@upr.edu
Coastal wetland resiliency is determined by the terrestrial/marine connectivity and its effects on
land cover and distribution. The Ciénaga Las Cucharillas a 500 hectares urban coastal wetland
located on the western side of the San Juan Bay, Puerto Rico. Hydrological changes caused by
500 years of land use changes and urban and industrial encroachment developed a mosaic of
plant functional groups which vary in their capacity to take up and concentrate heavy metals.
Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017 resulted in substantial treefalls, tree decapitation and
vast defoliation. We assessed the degree of post hurricane recovery of the study area by
monitoring for twelve months land cover changes using UAV images taken with a DJI Phantom
2. We found that woody vegetation which occupied 85% of cover before hurricane Maria has a
post hurricane decrease of 18% meanwhile emergent vegetation doubled its cover and
grasslands tripled as a result of increased light in the gaps caused by tree breakage and
defoliation. Human made changes in hydrology created a high salinity (>25ppt) hotspot in the
middle of the wetland, resulting in establishment of mixed Palustrine/Estuarine ecosystem. Future
work will focus on evaluation and process of additional images to assess vegetation regeneration
through time in study area and determine substrate nutrient and heavy metals availability in the
wetland mosaic.
Keywords: Coastal Urban Wetlands Land Cover Heavy Metals

52
Oral Presentation
F1
Biodegradable Chitosan Matrix Composite Reinforced with Titanium
Dioxide for Biocidal Applications
López-Calero, J.1, Suarez, O.M.1
1University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez Campus
johnny.lopez1@upr.edu
Access to drinkable water is increasingly difficult in developing nations. According to the World
Health Organization, more than 1.2 billion people lack access to this basic resource. The scientific
community has risen to the challenge of developing innovating methods to purify water. In this
challenging context, a novel chitosan and titanium dioxide biocomposite represents an appealing,
economically viable solution to remove oils, heavy metals, and pathogen colonies from
contaminated waters. This presentation will go over the study of a novel chitosan film matrix
impregnated with anatase nanoparticles, which was capable of expressing antibacterial
properties when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. A number of techniques allowed characterizing
the biocomposite uniformity, corroborating the anatase crystal structure, and assessing the
bonding type and nature of this bio-composite mixture. Different antibacterial tests with
Escherichia coli (gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive) were completed via
growth curve analysis and the Kirby-Bauer technique. The results of this encompassing study
revealed that the bacterial growth was reduced by more than 50% while maintaining the properties
of the biocomposite. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), fourier transform infrared (FTIR)
Spectrometer and x-ray diffraction were use to described the functional group, bonding type and
nature of this biocomposite film.
Keywords: Chitosan, Titanium Dioxide, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus
Entrepreneurial Projection:
Microorganisms represent a global problem when dealing with the quality of water. Water has an
extensive impact on every human’s life. Because of the high importance of this issue, our team
focuses on taking advantage of the antimicrobial properties of nanomaterials to disinfect water

53
Oral Presentation
F2
Evaluation of Antibacterial and Cytotoxicity Activity of Novel Carvacrol
Derivatives
Colón-Alicea, J.1, Báez-Félix, C.1, Ríos-Ramos, A.1, Delgado-Reyes, Y.2
1Universidad Ana G. Méndez - Gurabo Campus
2San Juan Bautista Research Center
janmarycolonn@gmail.com
Essential oils (EOs) have been studied in recent decades as new alternatives to inhibit bacterial
growth. One of the most effective EOs is carvacrol which also has anti-inflammatory, anti-
inflammatory, analgesic effects, among others. Our main objective is evaluate the antibacterial
activity again agriculture bacteria’s and cytotoxicity activity of carvacrol derivatives. The
antibacterial activity screening of carvacrol and their esters were carried out against four (4)
bacteria’s: Staphylococcus epidermids, Bacillus megaterium, Escherichia coli and Serratia
marcescens, because these genus have been reported as a danger to agricultural crops. Four
carvacrol derivatives (n = 7) were shown to have antimicrobial activity. The compound 2-bromo-
2 methyl propionate of carvacrol showed highest inhibitory capacity at 25 mg/ml. Gram-positive
bacteria showed lower resistance to carvacrol derivatives than gram-negatives. Another hand,
measured the cytotoxicity in lung cells because, the pulmonary system is the first route of
exposure to agrochemicals in crops. The preliminary results of cytotoxicity in A549 lung cells,
showed that the carvacrol derivatives have low cytotoxic effect at high concentration as 100 µM
and 250 µM, with 90% of cell viability. The results suggest that carvacrol derivatives could be
used to control pests with a low cytotoxic effect on human lung health.
Keywords: Carvacrol, antibacterial, cytotoxicity

54
Oral Presentation
F3
Growth of Proteus Vulgaris in Human Synthetic Urine for an Ureolysis
System
Barreto-Vazquez, D.1, Rojas, A.2, Cardona, W.3, Cabrera, C.2
1Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
2Molecular Science Research Center, University of Puerto Rico
3Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras Campus
delmaliz.barreto@upr.edu
Human urine is constituted by water (95%), inorganic and organic compounds, and urea
(approximately 2%). Urea is a detoxifying product of protein metabolism of most terrestrial
dwelling animals, and if accumulated inside the body, urea can cause detrimental health effects.
Current recycling systems have been unsuccessful on removing urea completely from wastewater
since the molecule is small and uncharged. An efficient urine recycling system is needed to obtain
clean water, free of toxic metabolic products like urea. This technology can be most beneficial for
long-term manned space missions at the ISS since it will also reduce the costs of delivering
potable water to the US space station. The use of robust enteric bacteria like Proteus vulgaris for
urea catalysis is a potential alternative for wastewater treatment since this microorganism can
naturally produce and regulate the urease enzyme when urea is available. The objective of this
research project is to determine the ideal formulation of human synthetic urine for optimal growth
of P. vulgaris and once established, to test growth parameters under continuous culture in a
chemostat. Our results demonstrate that P. vulgaris can grow and achieve exponential growth in
Basal Synthetic Human Urine with amino acids and glucose, and Enriched Synthetic Human
Urine. We selected the Basal Synthetic Human Urine with amino acids and glucose as the ideal
formulation for P. vulgaris growth in the Chemostat.
Keywords:
Environmental, Biochemistry, Green Chemistry

55
Oral Presentation
F4
Global and Local Structural Changes of Catalase Induced by Persulfidation
Pietri-Mélendez, R.1, Miller, L.2
1University of Puerto Rico - Cayey Campus
2Brookhaven National Laboratory
ruth.pietri@upr.edu
Oxidative stress produced by reactive oxygen species (ROS), is an important player in the
pathogenesis and progression of numerous diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative
disorders. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and polysulfides (H2Sx) can regulate oxidative stress by
modulating the activities of antioxidant proteins via persulfidation. Persulfidation is a novel
posttranslational modification in which H2S and H2Sx attach to cysteine thiols and disulfides in
proteins, leading to activation or inhibition of protein activity. Catalase (CAT) is an antioxidant
enzyme that protects cells from oxidative damage by removing H2O2, one of the most abundant
ROS. In the presence of sulfides CAT is persulfidated, which can modulate its antioxidant activity.
In this work we examine the sulfide species responsible for catalase persulfidation and how this
product affects its conformational structure and activity using small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS),
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and x-ray absorption near edge structure
spectroscopy (XANES). SAXS data showed that in the presence of H2Sx the global structure of
catalase decreases by ~10 Ǻ, while FTIR demonstrated that H2Sx induces secondary structural
changes from an unordered to a more ordered protein. The sulfur K-edge XANES spectra of
catalase in the presence of H2Sx showed a shift of the edge to lower energies with respect to
catalase alone, suggesting that the oxidation state of the sulfur atoms in the protein cysteine
residues increases, which is consistent with the formation of a persulfidation product. Taken
together, the study shows that H2Sx and not H2S react with the cysteine thiols in catalase,
generating the persulfidation product. This modification induces global and local structural
changes that can affect its activity in vivo.
Keywords: hydrogen sulfide, polysulfide, catalase

56
Oral Presentation
F5
Puerto Rico and the Cell Therapies Manufacturing Global Value Chain:
Insurance Logistics and Treatment Coverage Alternatives
Vélez, D., Pedrosa, P.1, Hernández, D.1, Rondán, R.1, Amador, M.1
1University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Campus
diana.velez3@upr.edu, mariaa.amador@upr.edu
In order to adequately evaluate and select the best options for coverage of medical expenses, it’s
important to first identify which are the available alternatives for treating the ailments in question,
and then, identify which is most suitable for the patient to undertake, given their condition. Cell
Manufacturing Therapies is an emerging industry, that provides a new approach for dealing with
certain types of cancers and other degenerative diseases. However because of the significantly
high costs related to these treatments, most health care providers still offer little to no coverage
for them. Recognizing the importance of making treatments like these more accessible for
patients who have degenerative illnesses, our team is researching areas related to health care
insurance for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies Yescarta & Kymriah, which offer a
promising alternative for treating certain types of cancers in both children and adults. Our
methodology consists of exploratory based research by means of interviews with oncologists and
CAR T-cell treatment centers/clinics, and through study of relevant articles about Kymriah &
Yescarta’s introduction and development in the Cancer Treatment market. By investigating these
areas, we seek to better understand how health insurance companies provide some coverage for
Cell Manufacturing related therapies, in order to identify which aspects of the CAR T-cell therapies
global value chain can be improved for more financial accessibility.
Keywords:
Insurance coverage; CAR T-cells; Yescarta; Kymriah
Entrepreneurial Projection:
The Cell Manufacturing Technologies project attempts to transform cell-based therapies into a
large‐scale, low‐cost, reproducible, and high‐quality engineered system for broad industry and
clinical use.

2019 ACS Puerto Rico Senior Technical Meeting Book of abstracts

2019 ACS Puerto Rico Senior Technical Meeting Book of abstracts

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