Scholar receives research funding
Jonathan Eller, USSP participant and Chemistry major, has been awarded funding to support his undergraduate research. Starting in January 2009, he is working on “Synthesis and self-assembly of polymer tethered nonoparticles.” His project will use simple chemistry to put nanoparticles in particular spatial arrangements and study how these molecules self-assemble in thin films.
Specifically, polystyrene molecules will be attached, using different chemical techniques, to spheres composed of 60 carbon atoms (buckyballs) Then these molecules will be characterized using a variety of chemical methods. After the molecules are synthesized, they will be applied as thin films to a substrate and their three dimensional shapes will be analyzed and characterized.
Jonathan’s work has potential applications in the development of less expensive, flexible solar collectors.
Jonathan’s mentor is Dr. Brian Berry, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at UALR.