Hannah Hagearty '21, a biology major from Londonderry, New Hampshire has been working with Professor Thomas Hughes, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, on the project titled, "Making Molecules that Turn Light into Electricity."
Light Emitting Diodes (LED) and photovoltaic cells have changed the way we light our everyday lives. Semiconductors power these devices, which are often made from silicon. Hagearty and Dr. Hughes are working on making large carbon-based molecules that form ribbon structures which could be used to make new organic photovoltaic cells from LEDs. They spent the summer modeling different components of the reaction on a computer so they can test them in the lab during the school year.
