Helping Joel in the lab environment

Author: Thomas Hollis | Major: Chemistry | Semester: Fall 2022

Hello, my name is Thomas Hollis, and I am a chemistry major in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.  Dr. Robert Coridan, my research mentor, works in the Biochemistry and Chemistry Department.  The research project I have been involved in revolves around the process of CO₂ reduction, or the splitting of CO₂ gas to create high energy compounds like CO or C.  Because energy is very valuable today, these renewable processes are very useful to solving the energy crisis and finding sustainable fuel sources. Today, it is a race to find the most affordable and efficient ways to recycle waste products like CO₂ while preserving the environment.  Photosynthesis, performed by plants, is a biological process that mimics the one performed in the lab.  Once perfected, this process will help provide energy in new locations, such as Mars.

This semester I was able to complete my research concerning the liquid metal, gallium-indium.  I was able to characterize the behavior of its surface wetting properties as well as its interaction as an electrocatalyst for CO₂ reduction.  In my initial proposal, I sought to extend the liquid metal over large surface areas, which involved determining its hydrophobic/hydrophilic interactions on various substrate materials. It was determined experimentally that the gallium-indium behaved most ideally when a substrate was polished, as it favored the micro-surface interactions that lacked an oxide layer of copper.  To establish the effectiveness of the gallium-indium, electrochemical CO₂ reduction was performed in solutions such as acetonitrile that were free of water.  Gold, an expensive alternative, performed relatively similar to the rates observed by gallium-indium.

In this final semester, I was able to finish my research concerning gallium-indium by comparing it to simply gallium and indium separately as well.  I performed several different tests in which I tried to determine the most effective way to compare these materials to the liquid metal gallium-indium.  One of these attempts involved flattening a sample of the malleable indium and attempting to melt it onto a copper substrate.  It was determined the best method would be to attach the copper lead directly to the indium.  For the gallium sample, melting was able to be performed easier, as the individual melting point was much lower.  After these samples were established, I performed trials of CO₂ reduction, in which the current passed through the sample served as a standard to how fast the reaction was able to take place.  It was determined that the gallium-indium liquid metal performed better overall that the elements individually.

I was able to meet my research mentor, Dr. Coridan, through my Chemistry for Majors II course I took in the spring of my freshman year.  Because I enjoyed his class so thoroughly, I wanted to reach out after the semester ended to find undergraduate opportunities for research.  Dr. Coridan oversees a variety of projects in his lab, and he helped me pick which one would be best suited for my skillset.  I was initially very overwhelmed when first joining his lab, as it was full of highly educated and knowledgeable post-graduates. I was able to quickly expand my knowledge to become a helpful member of the team with the help of Dr. Coridan and the graduate students in the lab.  One graduate student, Hamed Mehrabi, specifically has been a huge part of my research experience, and he has helped me learn much about electrochemistry and the methods used to conduct the laboratory experiments.  Additionally, Dr. Coridan provided specific educational sessions for the undergraduates to help get us up to speed with the nuances of our research.  With my time in the research lab, I have greatly expanded my knowledge on electrochemistry and developed a better understanding of the scientific method.  Not all experiments go smoothly, and much trial and error was needed to get some experiments to perform as desired.  This oftentimes required looking at problems from different angles not considered originally.

Dr. Coridan is great in helping establish an inclusive research environment, as he invites both graduate and undergraduate students to lunch outings.  These more personal experiences in a non-work setting helped enrich our productivity and creativity in the lab-setting.  Overall, I have had a fantastic experience working in Dr. Coridan’s lab.