Dr. Daniel Predecki

Education:

BS, Colorado State University

PhD, Wake Forest University

Post-Doctorate, University of Minnesota Cancer Center

Post-Doctorate, Emory University

Field of Chemistry:

My area of expertise is organic chemistry, which is the study of molecules that contain carbon.  All living things on earth are composed of carbon and as such, organic chemistry is required for all chemistry, biology, and pre-health profession majors and comprises sections of standardized exams such as the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test), PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test), DAT (Dental Admissions Test), and OAT (Optometry Admissions Test).  As a chemist, career opportunities in organic chemistry include drug discovery and development related fields, agricultural chemicals, polymers, and textiles.

Research Interests:

My research has spanned many aspects of organic chemistry.  My Ph.D. work involved the hydrolysis of Schiff bases, which are compounds that contain a C=N double bond.  My post-doctoral research at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center involved the synthesis and identification of probable carcinogens found in tobacco and my second post-doctorate involved the synthesis of organometallic compounds that cleave RNA.  Since being hired at Shippensburg University, my research has primarily continued with the study of Schiff bases.  In addition, I was fortunate to complete a sabbatical at the Cumberland County Forensics during the Spring of 2015.  I spent my sabbatical developing methods of analysis for six opioid drugs:  codeine, morphine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone.  This included procedures for derivatization and extraction of opioid samples from blood bank blood followed by analysis methods using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.  This led to some collaborative research of drugs of abuse which included the analysis of fluorinated cannabinoids and substituted pentylones.

Publications:

• J.W. Stewart, E.M. Irons, G. Osorio Abanto, M. Zeller, C.M. Zaleski and D.P. Predecki. "Synthesis and crystal structures of N,2,4,6- tetramethylanilinium trifluoromethanesulfonate and N-isopropylidene-N,2,4,6-tetramethylanilinium trifluoromethanesulfonate." Acta Cryst. E., 2024, E80(5), 543-549.

• Liliedahl, R.E.; Hutzell, E.; Haley M.; Predecki, D.P.; Davidson, J.T. "The differentiation of N-butyl pentylone isomers using GC-EI-MS and NMR." Forensic Science International, 2023, 351, 111815.
• Predecki, D.; Hockenberry, B; Wolfgang, J.; Waters, C.; Loscher, I. "Aza-Diels-Alder synthesis and NMR characterization of aromatic substituted 1-methyl-2-phenyl 2,3-dihydro-4(1H)-pyridinones." Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry Research, 2023, 22(3), 62.
• Predecki, D.P.; Davidson, J.T.; Richardson, J.; McGough, K. "Quantitative Analysis of Fluorinated Synthetic Cannabinoids Using 19F Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry." Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry Research, 2022, 22(1), 1.

• Sirovetz, B.J.; Walters, N.E.; Bender, C.N.; Lenivy, C.M.; Troupe, A.S.; Predecki, D.P.; Richardson, J.N.; Zaleski, C.M. “A Multiweek Upper-Division Inorganic Laboratory Based on Metallacrowns.” J. Chem. Educ., 2013, 90(6), 782-785.
• Predecki, D. P. “Non-steady state intermediates: a re-examination of the kinetics of hydrolysis of N-methylisobutylidene and N-isopropylethylidene under acidic conditions.” Tetrahedron Lett., 2012, 53, 6250-6253.
• Mohler, D. L.; Coonce, J.G.; Predecki, D.P.; “Photoinduced DNA Cleavage by Benzenediradical Equivalents: 1,3- and 1,4-Bis(dicarbonylcyclopentadienyliron) benzene.”  Bio. Org. Med. Chem. Lett.  2003, 17, 1377-1379.
• Peterson, L. A.; Predecki, D. P.; Thomson, N. M.; Villalta, P. W.; Donaldson, E. E.  “Nucleophilic Reactions between Thiols and a Tobacco Specific Nitrosamine Metabolite, 4-Hydroxy-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone.”  Chem. Res. Toxicol.  2003, 16, 661-667.
• Byrns, M.C.; Predecki, D.P.; Peterson L.A. “Characterization of Nucleoside Adducts of cis-2-Butene-1,4-dial, a Reactive Metabolite of Furan.”  Chem. Res. Toxicol.  2002, 15, 373-379.
• Peterson, L.A.; Naruko, K.C.; Predecki, D.P.;  “A Reactive Metabolite of Furan, cis-2-Butene-1,4-dial, is Mutagenic in the Ames Assay.”  Chem. Res. Toxicol.  2000, 13, 531-534.

Awards:

The chemistry majors awarded me "Most Likely to Tell a Dad Joke" in 2017, "Most Likely to Be in Their Office" in 2018, and "Most Likely to Brighten Your Day," at the 2019.   I was also awarded "Faculty of the Year" by the Shippensburg University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in 2019.