Hi, so it’s week #6. It is a short week, but I spent most of it working in the lab. I must say that I did like that we had a break this week, but I did miss being able to work in the lab. Majority of this week was reading articles, adding final touches to my presentation, synthesizing solutions and much more.

 

 

I had mentioned las week that I had accidentally melted my electrocatalyst solution because I had forgotten to remove the plastic cap before I inserted it in the oven. This week I am happy to say that I did not replicate the same mistake. So, my synthesis of the electrocatalyst, Iridium Oxide, was successful after following the steps that were published by scientists. I was happy that my experiment had succeeded and was eager to analyze the products. Although I had succeeded with the synthesis, the experiment yield was not great. I kept losing product mass step after step. I barely had enough to actually use it for the electrolyzer, and my mentor suggested I should recreate the experiment… again, only this time be more proactive about collecting as much product as possible.  She also told me that my work hadn’t gone to waste though, and that I could conduct a set of different tests on the sample I had done. XRD analysis, to measure the crystallinity and scanning electron microscope (SEM) to observe the morphology of the substance. I could also measure the sample with electrochemical tests such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), and Linear Sweep to observe the reactions in the electrocatalyst. These tests would help me better understand how electrocatalysts work, and why Iridium Oxide is the best choice to use in industry. Honestly, I am not upset I have to synthesize the sample a third time, because this time I can learn from my mistakes. Besides, it was fun synthesizing it.

 

So, the second part of my research, I was assisting my mentor designing and testing solar cells. These solar cells were created for the purpose of harvesting solar energy to electrical energy that will propel the chemical reaction that is needed for water splitting. I enjoyed testing the cells with a solar simulator since my mentor and I were looking for a specific trend in the data. My mentor was assembling the solar cell first, and then she had me attempt to do my own cell. I wasn’t

as confident because I had to be really careful not to touch any of the contacts on the cell, otherwise they would be considered destroyed. In the data, we were looking for measurements with the highest efficiency percentage. We had managed to measure about nineteen percent efficiency, which is good since the cells were still being tested.

 

 

So next week are presentations, and I am looking forward to presenting my research with my peers. My mentor had the idea to present my final presentation to her and her mentor who has spent the past five years studying what I have studied for the past month. Honestly? I am a little bit intimidated but it’s okay. I realized this is the type thing I need to grow not only as a person, but someone who does research. This won’t be the last time I present to an audience who has more knowledge than myself, but my goal is to be confident with my findings and be open to constructive criticism in my presentations. This is it for now and if you’re reading this, I hope you had a great holiday.

 

 

– Adrian