Synthesis of Spirobenzopyrans Crowned Ether (SP-CE) and Data Collection of its Lithium Ion Uptake

Authors: Linda Lee, Kevin Yusko, Jeremiah Mulu

Field of Study: Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Math

Program Affiliation: TRiO (SSS, Upward Bound, etc.)

Faculty Mentors: Christof Grewer

Easel: 74

Timeslot: Afternoon

Abstract: Lithium is a naturally occurring alkali metal present in the human body. Spirobenzopyrans Crowned Ether (SP-CE) is a sensor that can measure lithium ion fluorescence in living cells. As some sodium dependent membrane transporters are also able to accept lithium, SP-CE could be a potential route in testing their activity in cell-based studies. This research poster outlines experiments evaluating SP-CE’s effectiveness in detecting a range of LiCl concentrations.