Research 1: Multirole 3D-Printed Modular Spectrometer for Various Teaching Spectral Experiments at Classroom and Home
This work presents a homemade Multirole 3D-Printed Modular Spectrometer (MPMS), which can be easily assembled like bricks and expanded with several modules to measure different types of spectra, such as UV-vis absorption, fluorescence emission, flame emission/absorption, glow discharge, and even Raman spectra. The spectrometer is designed to be cheap, and flexible, and its inner structure is displayable, making it suitable for a range of applications and age groups. The assembly process allows for a clear understanding of the basic structure of the monochromator, the core component of spectrometers, as well as reveals the connections and similarities between different spectral analysis methods. Despite being easily disassembled, the spectrometer is robust, easy to calibrate, and highly precise, making it suitable for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. This study provides a valuable tool for those seeking a practical and educational approach to spectroscopy.
This work was published in the Journal of Chemical Education and won two prizes at both the Chinese Undergraduate Astronomical Innovation Contest and the National Chemistry Experiment Innovation and Design Competition for college students. The Astronomy Contest is a national one, and it won the first prize, only 9 out of 159 contestants were awarded this prize.
Research 2: The interstellar gas phase kinetics instrumentation (At UC Davis)
During three months as a visiting student at UC Davis, I first introduced the Computational Fluid Mechanics with the software COMSOL, to simulate the supersonic flow in the vacuum chamber. Through the supersonic expansion the temperature of gas can be low enough to simulate the interstellar environments.
Also, I suggested using 3d printing technology to speed up the parameter optimization of the nozzle. I used SolidWorks to build the printing model. This work about an alternative to the molecular beam sampling technique is also being prepared for publication, and the professor used my simulation figure at both our group website and presentations at other universities.
During my visit, I also underwent training in the turbo molecular pump, laser collimating, and so on. They would be very helpful to my future research plan about experimental chemical physics.
Research 3: The Synthesis and Characterization of Ru/Sn nano alloy electrocatalyst used for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
The hydrogen Evolution Reaction is a half-reaction of the water decomposition. This work about catalysts is aimed at reducing the overpotential during this process. This research target is crucial to the development of the green-energy hydrogen fuel technology. The innovation point of this research is a new synthesis method for Nano Ru-Sn alloy: Cyanogel, which is a kind of hydrogel synthesized through Sol-Gel transformation. In this way, the two kinds of metal atoms are mixed perfectly on the molecular level, and the alloy made in this way has a small size —— meaning a larger Catalytic Activity Area. The formation of bridging ligand structure was proven by infrared spectroscopy. The cyanogel was then heated in a tube furnace to get alloy, and the best temperature was determined by Thermogravimetric Analysis. Transmission Electron Microscope proved its nano size.
The phase of the catalyst is influenced by different feed ratios when the phase was characterized by XRD (X-ray diffraction), and the simplest phase, Ru3Sn7 was optimized. The performance of the catalyst was characterized with the LSV method (linear sweep voltammetry), and the overpotential at the same current density of this catalyst (10-20mV) is lower than commercial Pt/C(28mV)
This work is still preparing for publication, and I will be the first author of this paper.
