Dr. Christian Wallen, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences
Student and Faculty Excellence (SAFE) Fund Recipient: Spring 2022
Project: “Coordination of Protic Small Molecules with Second-Sphere Hydrogen Bonding”
College of Arts and Sciences Student and Faculty Excellence (SAFE) grant funding allowed Dr. Wallen to purchase a temporary license for software to access and search the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD), which contains over 1.1 million crystal structures. Having access to this database and the software to efficiently search through the massive number of structures was helpful in writing his recently-accepted publication. This publication is the first from Wallen’s research program and includes three new metal-organic complexes that will be of interest to the field of coordination chemistry.
Two of Wallen’s undergraduate research students are authors on the publication, titled "Binding Polyprotic Small Molecules with Second-Sphere Hydrogen Bonds," which was recently accepted into the Journal of Coordination Chemistry. This publication utilized relevant crystallographic information gained from the CSD via the license. Consequently, students in the research group have learned about how to leverage the CSD as a powerful tool for better understanding how their own crystal structures they have obtained during their research experience in the program.
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About the A.R. Smith Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences
The A.R. Smith Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences offers a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry, a Bachelor of Science in chemistry with eight different concentrations and an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science degree in fermentation sciences. The department’s programs prepare students to attend graduate and professional schools, as well as for employment in the pharmaceutical and fermentation industries and other business sectors. Learn more at https://chemistry.appstate.edu.
About the SAFE Fund
Initially endowed by Hughlene and Bill Frank, the College of Arts and Sciences Student and Faculty Excellence (SAFE) Fund provides resources that can be used to support undergraduate, graduate and faculty experiences. The SAFE Fund provides funding for college priorities and opportunities that arise throughout the year. These unrestricted funds support student and faculty travel, publication support for faculty and student research opportunities. Learn more at: https://cas.appstate.edu/students/student-and-faculty-excellence-safe-fund.
SAFE Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Christian Wallen
SAFE Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Christian Wallen