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Anjuli Bhandari, a master's degree candidate in forensic science at Buffalo State, will present her master's thesis seminar, "Pyrazole Pendant Tetraazomacrocylic Ligands for Possible Medical Applications," at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21, in Science Building 272. Light refreshments will be served before the seminar. This seminar is supported by the Faculty-Student Association.

Abstract
Gadolinium is the element typically used for MRI contrast agents, which are sometimes injected prior to performing an MRI. The element accumulates in inflamed areas, which indicates where there may be an infection or a tumor. However, gadolinium is more toxic to the body than preferred, and the potential long-term effects have been studied in individuals who experience health issues. Metal complexes containing metals that are naturally occurring have been proposed to replace gadolinium use. Complexing a metal (i.e., copper or iron) to a macrocyclic ligand that has a high water exchange rate would potentially be able to replicate gadolinium–based dye conditions while also having a higher excretion rate and lower toxicity. A research project was proposed based on the findings of Morrow et al. that an iron-containing complex could function as a PARACEST MRI contrast agent.

Tetrazomacrocyclic ligands such as cyclam and cyclen are useful  macrocyclic ligands for new research in drug therapy and imaging techniques. The addition of pyrazole pendant arms has been proposed as a possible option to improve their ligating properties. For this research, pyrazole pendant arms were synthesized using a procedure stated by Attarian et al., and ligands based on both cyclam and cylen were then synthesized. These ligands could then be used to attempt to form a stable metal complex using a variety of metals and solvents. New compounds were characterized using a combination of NMR, mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography. Compounds of the type synthesized show promise in one day being a strong contender for use in MRI contrast and possibly therapy for cancerous tumors.