INTERROGATING THE OPTICAL AND ELECTRONIC FUNCTIONS OF SQUID BIOCHROMES

Date of Award

Winter 2017

Project Type

Thesis

Program or Major

Chemistry

Degree Name

Master of Science

First Advisor

Leila F Deravi

Second Advisor

Leila F Deravi

Third Advisor

Margaret Greenslade

Abstract

Cephalopods are able to quickly and efficiently camouflage in with their surroundings by altering their surface texture and color. This process is enabled in part through the actuation of pigmented chromatophore organs. We analyzed the primary pigment component in cephalopod skin, xanthommatin, and identified a unique dependency of its color to different pH environments. Xanthommatin was synthesized at a 39% yield via the oxidative cyclization of 3-hydroxy-DL-kynurenine. Under different pH conditions synthetic xanthommatin changed color; where acidic conditions (pH<3) showed diminished color, neutral (3

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