Experimental Synthesis and Characterization of Perylenetetracarboxyl Diimide Derivatives

Fan Hu, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in Molecular, Cellular & Development Biology  

I started this research in October of 2022, the semester where in-person lectures were back in session and pandemic quarantine policies had loosened up but the effects and lasting impacts still loomed.
This was also around the same time of the global chip shortage (I also bought a Desktop during this shortage in December of 2021 where prices were inflated). When Dr. Jin invited me for an independent study I was intrigued, as he works on organic semiconductors. He mentioned that his research entailed the potential use of Perylene as a replacement for silicon in chips, which may be a more cost-effective alternative.
During this time, I was also shadowing my mentor in Northwell Staten Island University Hospital’s Emergency Department. I heard that the hospital has plans to upgrade their medical software system and it would cost them in the billions to do so! Their computer’s hardware was also getting slow, so if they needed to replace and update all those computers as well then wouldn’t the cost be far greater? Of course, the actual applications of Dr. Jin’s research may be well into the future, but it was a wonderful opportunity that fascinated me. That’s just a tie into healthcare as someone interested in going into medicine.
Going into chemistry research as a biology major was, admittedly, daunting. But once I did begin, the research itself made a lot of sense. It followed the basic cornerstone of chemistry knowledge that was taught in general chemistry and organic chemistry and merely built upon it, layer by layer.
What surprised me was how simple the physical procedures themselves were. Syntheses involved measuring compounds and transferring them into a vial with a stirring bar. Then they were left on a hot plate and heated. But the theory behind this simple procedure, the mechanisms, and the interpretation of results required a thorough understanding of chemistry principles. Thus, I believe this experience in undergraduate research provided me an opportunity to work on my critical thinking skills; something that will no doubt be held in high regard with the advance of artificial intelligence.
More optimizations can be made to the synthesis procedures if given more time; testing it in a lower temperature, conducting the chromatography in one single sitting, or perhaps testing the effects of different length alkanes. These attempts may increase the product’s yield from the current 20%—allowing greater versatility and equally advantageous yields. I also had the opportunity to visit a biology laboratory and from what I’ve seen, the inherent principles of research in a laboratory are similar. I believe this undergraduate research experience has prepared me well, no matter the type of laboratory or research I may participate in.