Jacob Fecht ’22 — First, I would like to thank the Wabash College Chemistry Department, all who funded this research, and Dr. Tim Cook for this internship two years in the making. I am so grateful for my experience in the chemistry lab this summer, which had initially been pushed back a year due to COVID. Furthermore, I would like to thank Dr. Cook for all the delicious food he prepared during our last week of work, especially the Spam Musubis. Had I not been at Wabash, I do not believe I would have had such an enriching internship, and I am thankful to all who made it possible.
Throughout the summer I worked alongside Dr. Cook and Blaine Teeters as we attempted to synthesize and obtain electrochemical data on several Cobalt complexes. While some of the molecules played nice, it was through trials and tribulations that we were able to produce a wide variety of compounds for study. Our main goal was to determine whether or not the Cobalt complexes could act as catalysts for the reduction of O2, serving as less expensive counterparts to the more widely used Platinum catalysts. After reviewing our electrochemical data, we concluded that our compounds did in fact work, suggesting that future research should be conducted regarding the catalytic ability of metal ion and macrocycle complexes. Our findings were important as having inexpensive catalysts which lower the energy required to reduce O2 could help to make Hydrogen fuel cells less costly and more available. If that were the case, greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced as we could turn to Hydrogen for energy – which only releases water as a byproduct!
I had recently taken organic chemistry, which focuses a lot on synthesis, and so the internship allowed me to apply what I had learned in a more hands-on method. Organic chemistry also concerns itself with the mechanisms through which chemical reactions proceed, and within the lab, we were able to think critically and apply such mechanisms to determine the best route to produce the complexes we sought. The internship was also a great learning experience with Dr. Cook taking the time to teach us about electrochemistry and the synthesis of macrocycles. I am so fortunate to now have this opportunity under my belt, and once again thank you to Wabash for making it possible!
