Ionic Liquids and GUMBOS: Tunable Materials for Biomedical Applications

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Lecture by Dr. Isiah Warner

6 pm, Wednesday, February 5, Shelby Center 301 at UAH campus

Dr. Warner’s topic combines two areas of much current interest—ionic liquids and nanomaterials—focusing on the production of tunable nanomaterials which are designed and assembled for specific uses. Applications include biomedical science, in particular sensors, imaging agents, and stimuli-responsive materials. Dr. Warner will highlight one recently developed strategy for cancer therapy.

Dr. Warner is the Philip W. West Professor of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry at Louisiana State University. More information on Dr. Warner and his lecture is included below.

http://chemistry.lsu.edu/site/people/Faculty/Isiah%20Warner/item1108.html

http://chem-faculty.lsu.edu/warnergroup/Home.html

--- Abstract ---

 My research group has been exploring the scientific applications of room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) for several years. More recently, we have extended the range of these materials to include applications of similar solid phase materials, i.e. organic salts with melting points of solid phase ionic liquids (25 °C to 100 °C) up to organic salts with melting points of 250 °C. To contrast these new materials with RTILs, we have created the acronym, GUMBOS (Group of Uniform Materials Based on Organic Salts). These GUMBOS have the tunable properties frequently associated with RTILs, including tunable solubility, melting point, viscosity, thermal stability, hydrophobicity, and functionality. Thus, when taken in aggregate, GUMBOS allow the production of solid phase materials which have a wide range of biomedical and other scientific applications. In this talk, I will highlight the applications of RTILs and GUMBOS which we have recently explored for biomedical science, including sensors, imaging agents, stimuli-responsive materials, and for production of nanomaterials. In regard to these nanomaterials (nanoGUMBOS), we believe that our methodology represents an extremely useful approach to production of tunable nanomaterials since our materials are designed and assembled for specific uses, rather than adapted for use as is done for many nanomaterials. Selected applications, including sensor applications and cancer therapy, will be highlighted in this talk. Particular emphasis will be placed on a recently developed novel strategy for cancer therapy.

--- Bio Sketch ---

Dr. Isiah Warner graduated Cum Laude from Southern University with a B.S. Degree in 1968. After working for Battelle Northwest in Richland, WA for five years, he attended graduate school in chemistry at the University of Washington, receiving his Ph.D. in chemistry (analytical) in June 1977. He was assistant professor of chemistry at Texas A&M University from 1977-1982. He was awarded tenure and promotion to associate professor effective September 1982. However, he elected to join the faculty of Emory University as associate professor and was promoted to full professor in 1986. Dr. Warner was named to an endowed chair at Emory University in September 1987, and was the Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Chemistry until he left in August 1992. During the 1988/89 academic year, he was on leave to the National Science Foundation (NSF) as Program Officer for Analytical and Surface Chemistry. In August 1992, Dr. Warner joined Louisiana State University as Philip W. West Professor of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry. He was Chair of the Chemistry Department from July 1994-97, and was appointed Boyd Professor of the LSU System in July 2000. In April 2001, Dr. Warner was appointed the Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives.

The primary research emphasis of Dr. Warner’s research group is the development and application of improved methodology (chemical, mathematical, and instrumental) for studies of complex chemical systems. His research interests include (1) fluorescence spectroscopy, (2) separation science, (3) nanomaterials, (4) automated methods of analysis, (5) chemistry in organized media and (6) environmental chemistry.

Dr. Warner has more than 300 published or in-press articles in refereed journals since 1975. He has given more than 400 invited talks since 1979. He currently has six patents with four more pending. He has chaired forty-one doctoral theses since 1982 and is currently supervising fifteen other Ph.D. theses.

A brief list of honors follow:

• Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) Fellows, 2010

• American Chemical Society Fellow-Inaugural class, 2009

• ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Award in Spectrochemical Analysis, 2008

• Tuskegee University, George Washington Carver Achievement Award, 2005

• Elected to the status of Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Council, 2003

• ACS Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences, 235th National Meeting for the American Chemical Society, 2003

• AAAS Lifetime Mentor Award, 2000

• Fullbright Fellowship for Research/Teaching in Kenya, 1998

• Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring, 1997

• National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers Award for “Outstanding Teacher” at their 20th Annual Meeting, 1993

• Chair of External Review Committee, Division of Analytical Chemistry, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1993

• Vice Chairman Elect of the 1991 Analytical Gordon Conference and Chairman Elect of 1992 Analytical Gordon Conference, 1991-2

Posted by David Newsome on January 30, 2014 at 9:00 AM