I got inspired to start a blog whilst I was at one of my jobs last week.  This summer I decided I wanted to do something chemistry-ish, so I've been doing research at my uni.  I've been working for one of my lecturer's who does research into organic semiconductor solar cells. I've decided when talking about chemistry I'll give a layman's description of what I'm actually talking about, so if you already know what stuff is you'll have to excuse me.

A solar cell is the basic constituent of a solar panel.  The problem is those sorts of solar cells are made from silicon, which is expensive to make into solar cells and is not very practical.  The plan with organic semiconductor solar cells is to use a semiconducting polymer to replace the role of silicon in a solar cell.  It would be much much cheaper and they'd be more viable as an actual contender to replace fossil fuels.  Problem is, at present, they aren't all that efficient.  The research group I am working for is basically investigating different ways to improve this efficiency, amongst other things.

I've been working for them for almost 4 weeks now.  It's good.  I've learnt quite a lot, and it's been really good to work with people doing PhDs and see what I could potentially be doing, properly, in a years time.  Last week I got given a little mini project to work on, there's a fair bit of waiting around, so I sneaked my phone into the lab and took loads of pictures of what I've been doing. 

My lab book, and to the top some of my cheeky little samples in their little boxes

The fume hood, whenever I use it I feel like I may die

 

 

Making up my samples, this fumehood has destroyed all my dreams several times over.  I keep dropping my samples and knocking solutions over in it :( sad times.

Me looking sciency using the glove box.  Don't be fooled, glove boxes are a bitch.

Me looking sciency in my lab coat

I've not really discovered anything yet.  At the moment all I seem to be doing is making up solutions, making films on glass with them, then taking a UV/vis spectrum of it.  It's pretty soul destroying doing it all day then finding out, once again you've not done what you wanted to do.  Maybe next week though *fingers crossed*.