Examination of Phenylacetylene Dicobalt Hexacarbonyl Towards a Model for Electronic and Vibrational Properties
Daniel Torres ’25
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Meadows
Other Research Team Members: Avi Klein
What is the broader impact of your summer research? That is, why should the world care about your work?
Understanding the connection between the structure of a molecule and how it reacts can be used to find more efficient methods to create complicated molecules such as medicines. This can be done by creating a simplified model to predict properties without needing to go through a complex reaction first. We compared properties of a metal carbonyl with different components attached to find a trend in the electronic properties. We examined these properties through NMR and IR spectroscopy, in search for a trend that has been known in the past.
What has summer research taught you about yourself and the field that you researched and/or studied?
This summer has taught me how enjoyable it is to work in a small group, and reminded me why I was interested in doing more things like this for both graduate school and potentially even post-doctoral work. The largest things that I have learned have been about performing statistical analysis, and troubleshooting with the NMR instrument. To perform statistical analysis, we had to learn a lot about Excel, to efficiently examine data files that could have thousands of points, and visualize it in a way to make statements about the data. For the NMR, I found myself having to reexamine theory to understand what happens with the experiment when something unexpected happens, whether the problem is with the instrument or sample, and how to more finely adjust settings that normal classes would not touch.
What advice would you give to students considering a future research opportunity similar to the one you participated in?
I would advise that they take on the challenge and make sure to pick a topic that they are passionate/interested in. It can be a lot of work, but when it is something interesting to you it makes the work feel much more worthwhile.