Student
Alan Trudeau, '20
Files
Cohort
2020
Biography
Alan J. Trudeau Muñoz was born and raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. He is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. He is currently researching the biosynthetic pathways utilized by microorganisms to produce nitro containing compounds as natural products; with an emphasis in understanding the bionitration mechanisms involved in the production of secondary explosives and propellants that contain nitro groups. He plans to obtain his Ph.D in Inorganic Chemistry and become an industry oriented researcher.
Faculty Mentor
Jonathan Caranto, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Major
Chemistry
Future Plans
Ph.D. Inorganic Chemistry
Disciplines
Chemistry | Inorganic Chemistry
Recommended Citation
Trudeau, Alan, "Alan Trudeau, '20" (2019). McNair Scholars. 128.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/mcnair_gallery/128
Research
Biosynthetic Nitration Reactions Driven by the Metalloenzymes AznD and AznE:
The most common secondary explosives and propellants contain nitro groups that are installed using chemical nitration reactions. These methods exploit hazardous and corrosive compounds and leads to high amounts of hazardous waste. Because of these wastes, new synthetic pathways are necessary to produce these energetic products. One “green” synthetic strategy is to investigate biosynthetic pathways utilized by microorganisms to produce nitro containing compounds as natural products. By understanding how bionitration functions it should be possible to adapt the production of nitro compounds and its precursors under green chemistry standards. Through this subdivision of the primary research, the aim is to confirm if and how, both the metalloenzymes AznD and AznE participate in bionitration reactions.