I had a progressively better week than the last. On Monday I had a meeting with my mentors to recount the contents of what I had read the previous week. While asked to explain, I realized I did not know as much as I thought I did while reading. Since then, the majority of my time was spent trying to understand the process of electrolysis. This, I can say has been a challenge, but one which has been fulfilling so far.
I learned the stages of fabrication for Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) this week. It is a relatively simple process, but the cells have been designed by my mentor with the aim of better efficiency. These transistors are designed to be biocompatible, and their benefits are due to their ability to sense minute changes in their environment, through the redox reaction process. Looking ahead to next week after I get my SEA trainings done, I hope to move onto the next step in the process where I learn the importance of the changes my mentor has made to his cell designs.
The process so far has been one of learn-as-you-go, and I only now realize what my learning style is. Getting to understand the process of graduate schooling and the challenges that come with it has also been very informational, as it is a career path I have considered.