Bilal Momand Purifying Compounds for COF Synthesis

My name is Bilal Momand, and I am a junior biochemistry major in the Fulbright College at the University of Arkansas. I was awarded an Honors College Research Grant for the spring and fall semesters of 2020. I conducted research with Dr. Beyzavi in the chemistry department at the University of Arkansas. I met with Dr. Beyzavi at the end of my freshman year after having seen an article posted about his research in the Arkansas Newswire. One area of research in Dr. Beyzavi’s lab is to construct Covalent Organic Frameworks (COF) as a tool for reaction catalysis. These COFs will allow certain reactions to proceed under conditions that normally would not be favorable. The goal of my research is to develop these COFs by a novel approach of layer-by-layer epitaxy, where the frameworks are thin films built by adding one-molecule-thick layers at a time. This allows for greater precision for regulating the reaction sites of the COFs, which will provide the ability for additional reaction catalysis. I chose my research project based on my interests in covalent synthesis and porous materials, areas heavily coordinated with Dr. Beyzavi’s research lab.

Unfortunately, to a large extent, the Beyzavi research lab was closed during the fall semester due to Covid-19 fall.  Having achieved mixed results of preliminary findings in the spring semester, I spent a majority of my fall semester in a personal environment researching new materials and reagents for greater potential success. A goal for the fall semester was correcting the inadequate uniformity of each layer in construction of the thin films. In order to test the ability of COFs for catalysis, a uniform single layer of molecules is needed. After months of browsing chemistry literature in the spring and fall for potential starting materials for reaction synthesis, I was ready to begin rounds of purifications of organic reagents to achieve the desired uniformity. Thankfully, near the end of the semester Dr. Beyzavi granted access to the lab under stringent safety guidelines including social distancing, mask wearing, and pre-planned lab visits.

I utilized my aid from the Honors College to acquire chemicals and compounds for the Beyzavi research lab. With the generosity of the Honors College, the Beyzavi lab was able to obtain the perfect resources for preparation of COF thin films. Utilizing a robotic reactor (which I call Janet) I was able to perform another round of synthesis of thin films. With equipment from the chemistry department and aid from Dr. Beyzavi himself and his team, I was able to synthesize a fully uniform layer of COF thin film! Elated with the development, I sought to characterize the film and perform tests for its catalytic properties. Unfortunately, the remaining time spent on characterization of thin films yielded inconclusive results and analysis of catalytic properties could not be determined before the end of the semester. Despite this being the last semester of funding for my research, I plan on continuing characterization in the following semesters and testing the catalytic properties of the fully uniform thin films. The Beyzavi research team has been able to acquire an abundance of resources due the ample aid of the Honors College at the University of Arkansas. I intend on utilizing these resources further in my research career to yield conclusive results from the data gathered over the previous semesters. Additionally, (when possible) I plan on attending future conferences hosted by the American Chemical Society.

My research faced an unexpected number of setbacks for the 2020 year. However, I believe that it is because of the challenges faced in and out of the lab that I was able to learn more than what a standard research experience would have provided. Setbacks offer room to grow, and the obstacles that I faced taught important information about perseverance and dedication through adversity. Continuing my research in the future, I believe I will be even more prepared to handle the new, upcoming challenges of research in my senior year.