Interdisciplinary Renewable and Environmental Collaborative REU Program

Mentors: Ji (Chem Eng), Goriacheva (Chem Eng)

This project will immerse students in the world of nanomaterials synthesis and allow them to develop a broad set of high-demand research skills. Specifically, students will: gain hands-on experience with carbon dot synthesis via pyrolysis; practice several advanced spectroscopy techniques (optical spectrophotometry, dynamic light scattering, and time-resolved photoluminescence); and raise environmental awareness via repurposing industrial waste products for practical applications.

Mentors: Du (Chem), Ji (Chem Eng)

The project will enable involvement of two REU students working on the synthesis and characterization of (bio)degradable polymers from partially or wholly biobased monomers via catalytic approaches. These include polyesters, poly(silyl ether)s, poly(silyl ester)s, as well as their copolymers with multiple segments (e.g., polylactides-co-polyesters, polyesters-co-poly(silyl ether)s), as well as more advanced architectures such as hyperbranched polymers. Their chemical and thermo-mechanical properties will be characterized via various techniques including NMR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry.

Mentor: Nasah (CEMRI), Van der Watt (CEMRI, Chem Eng)

New technologies are needed to address the energy transition from carbon-based fuels to carbon-free fuels such as hydrogen. In this project, students will evaluate the use of catalytic materials to convert hydrocarbon gases (biogas, propane, methane) to hydrogen and carbon black using catalytic processes. The student selected on this project will: 1) Learn how to prepare catalysts using various laboratory techniques, 2) Learn to evaluate and characterize the prepared material  using techniques such as thermo-gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and electron microscopy, and 3) produce hydrogen from a different hydrocarbon gas mixes in a benchtop test reactor.

Mentors: Hou (Institute for Energy Studies), Ji (Chem Eng)

We developed an in-situ synthetic technology using Lignite-derived humic acid as the raw materials to prepare high-performance composite materials for LIBs. The preliminary test shows the composite electrode materials have much better electrochemical performance than market ones. REU students working on this project will: 1) learn laboratory techniques of synthetic chemistry; 2) learn advanced materials characterization techniques such as X-ray diffractometer and Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope; and 3) gain some hands-on experience in lithium battery assembly at the factory of the project sponsor.

Mentors: Hoffmann (Chem), Kubatova (Chem)

REU students will use widely distributed computational chemistry software (e.g., Gaussian, GAMESS, NWChem) to perform density functional calculations and simple post-Hartree-Fock wave-function-based correlated (MP2) calculations on target compounds with constraints on positions of surrounding solvent molecules and/or parts of macromolecules.  REU students will regularly meet with faculty and graduate students to ensure training and effective progress on the assigned tasks. Deliverables are the barrier heights of reactions, which will be converted to estimated kinetic rates using available transition state theory software.

Mentors: Kubatova (Chem), Simmons (Biology)

For initial investigation, bulk pollen will be used to complete all research tasks; the developed method will be applied to specific types of pollen and matched to DNA analysis to reveal characteristic markers. The specific activities include: 1) Evaluation of methods for dissolution/breakdown of sporopollenin, including acetolysis and thermal breakdown, which are at 1st stage of work monitored by microscopy; 2) Characterization of pollen fragments employing thermal desorption pyrolysis with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (TD-Pyr-GC-MS) w/wo derivatization. Student will learn to operate TD-Pyr-GC-MS, employ suitable sample preparation methods, and evaluate GC-MS data using mass spectrometric data library and mass spectra interpretation; 3) Use of  DNA to identify the plant sources of atmospheric pollen. We expect the analysis will reveal characteristic identification profiles enabling fingerprinting in atmospheric samples; 4) (Aspirational) These “fingerprints” patterns will then be compared to those observed in air particulate matter samples collected during the harvest season in ND.

The students will learn the basics of wet chemistry and essential safety within research tasks. The first assessment of their work will be done with microscopy to observe physical breakage as shown in the figure, which is helpful, especially when many other aspects of the research project are abstract. GC-MS analysis will be done in collaboration with a graduate student providing essential technical support and training as has been done with previous REU and undergraduate students. The analytical and biological assays will be conducted by a team of two REU students, working in each lab, sharing their results, and jointly contributing to the overall outcome of the project.

Mentors: Delene (Atm Sci), Majdi (Atm Sci)

Currently, general aviation aircraft typically uses 100 Low Leaded Octane Rated Fuel (LL100) to power piston-powered engines. LL100 contains tetra-ethyl lead to increase the fuel’s octane rating and prevents spontaneous combustion. Burning fuels with tetra-ethyl lead releases lead (Pb), which is a toxic metal that accumulates in the blood resulting in human health impacts. New aircraft should be able to safely operate using unleaded fuel with 94 octane rating (UL94). Particular matter measurements were obtained before and after the switch from LL100 to UL94 fuel by the University of North Aerospace College during June of 2023. The research objective is to obtain low level of Pb on blank (unused) filters, analyze existing particle filters, and obtain additional atmospheric filter measurements at the Grand Forks airport.

A high-volume filter sampler is used to collect daily and weekly samples on 8x10 inch filters at the Grand Forks airport. Daily and weekly filter samples are post and pre weighed using a high precision scale. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) is used to analysis the elemental composition of each filter sample. XRF sample analysis should detected zero, or very small, amounts of lead on blank filters. It is necessary to determine how low XRF is able to detect Pb filters. In additional to XRF, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer ICP-MS can be used to quality lead amount on collected filters.

Mentors: Fevig (Space Studies), Delene (Atm Sci) 

Balloons are a critical platform for observing the Earth’s atmosphere, which can obtain measurements in the lower stratosphere (up to approximately 30 km). The University Of North Dakota (UND) has several radiosonde station and conducts balloon flights with several different instrument packages. Recently, UND conducted ozonesonde flights (Figure 1) in support of the NASA Dynamics and Chemistry of the Summer Stratosphere (DCOTSS) project. The use of three dimensional (3D) printing enables building low cost instruments capable of making research quality measurements while enabling students to gain valuable educational experience.

Students will use 3D-printing technology to build instruments for balloon packages. Students have the opportunity to work with the open source hardware and software community to develop, test and deploy instruments and control systems. For example, students can work on adapting temperature, humidity and pressure measurement components of the 3D Printed Automatic Weather Station (3D-PAWS) for use on a balloon package system. Additional projects include development of a package cut-down system and a Raspberry Pi based down-linking system. The software and hardware documentation of the developed equipment will be released in open repositories with a focus on material that can be used in an educational setting.

Mentors: Majdi (Atm Sci), Delene (Atm Sci)

Fog is a high-impact weather hazard resulting from complex chemical and meteorological processes that cause serious disruptions to road traffic, marine transport, and especially aviation operations. Fog likelihood is influenced by city heat island and local surface conditions[i]. The main impact of fog is visibility reduction that results in financial damages, severe road accidents, devastating aviation disasters, and loss of lives. Therefore, improved understanding of fog formation processes has broad societal impacts since such knowledge will result in improved models that enable a more reliable and efficient transportation system. Such improvements are especially critical for deployment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in transportation since flights need to be near the ground and out of sight of the operator. Accurate atmospheric conditions help to ensure safe and effective deployment of UAS platforms.

Observations from National Science Foundation sponsored project entitle, “RAPID: North Dakota Field Measurement Campaign to Improve Understanding of Fog Processes” obtained measurements during 2021 and 2022 using the Meteorological Observation Trailer, which include both aerosol (condensation particle counter and cloud condensation particle counter) measurements along with concurrent meteorological measurements that included wind parameters. Students will obtain data from a CHORDS server and create visualization using a Grafana site. Students can conduct both case study analysis and statistical data analysis to investigate how changes in aerosol concentration relate to changes in wind parameters. Such changes between wind parameters and aerosol concentration enables atmospheric chemical processes to be inferred that affect aerosols and cloud droplet concentration, which impact fog formation.

Mentors: Huang (Chem), Kubatova (Chem)

In this project, REU students will engage in the synthesis of catalysts featuring precisely defined nanoparticles. The goal is to enhance the efficiency and selectivity of catalytic CO2 reduction. Students will learn to synthesize uniform nanocatalysts with adjustable metal sizes, varied metal compositions, and tailored metal–support interfaces through advanced synthetic protocols. Subsequently, students will shift towards gaining a comprehensive understanding of how these diverse nanocatalysts activate CO2 and selectively convert it into desired products, such as ethanol. The catalytic products will be identified through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis.

Mentors: Sui (Chem), Zhao (Chem)

To complete this project specifically designed for the REU program, the student will first synthesize new near-IR fluorescent biosensors based on the precursors prepared in the lab. Then, the absorption and fluorescence emission properties of the biosensors will be determined using a fluorescence spectrophotometer. Finally, these new fluorescent biosensors will be incubated with cancer cells and imaged under a fluorescence microscope. Through the project, the REU student will learn basic skills in organic chemistry and use them to make new substances, and gain knowledge of spectroscopy and fluorescence chemistry as they determine the absorption and emission spectra of the biosensors. In addition, students will get research experience in cellular biology while performing cancer cell culture and cell imaging.

Mentors: Sui (Chem), Du (Chem)

With the rapid development of nanotechnology, nanomedicine has evolved into an advanced technique for treating various diseases, especially cancer. Among all kinds of nanomaterials, nanoparticles based on biodegradable polymers have attracted extra attention because such materials can break down into nontoxic small molecules inside the body, leading to several virtues in terms of compatibility with biological systems, controlled drug release, and potential for reduced inflammation and foreign body response. In this research, we will develop novel therapeutic nanoparticles that can effectively annihilate cancer cells and cause negligible harm to normal cells, creating a powerful technique for cancer therapy. The student working on this project will learn basic knowledge and practical lab skills through laboratory training and hands-on experiments. Biodegradable polymers will be synthesized by the student following a standard protocol established in our lab. Prepared polymers will be determined under varied conditions to evaluate their potential for biomedical applications, especially for the development of advanced drug delivery systems. The student will have opportunities to learn experimental skills in organic synthesis, polymer chemistry, nanotechnology, and cellular biology.

Mentors: Van der Watt (CEMRI, Chem Eng), Gedafa (Civil Eng)

The circular economy approach to manufacturing has gained traction as a way to minimize waste and pollution by promoting the reuse and recycling of materials. Industries must innovate to manage their waste effectively. Researchers at UND are pioneering a carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture method based on mineralization, not only removing CO₂ from the atmosphere but also converting industrial wastes into useful products. The mineralization process permanently sequesters CO₂ in a solid, usable form. Within this CO₂ removal technology framework, it is imperative to subject the transformed wastes to rigorous testing. This assessment aims to ascertain their compliance with construction standards and specifications, while simultaneously identifying any supplementary processing steps necessary to enhance their utility. REU students working on this project will:

1. Develop advanced material characterization skills related to and including total carbon and total inorganic carbon determination, mineral mapping using X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis to study material properties before and after CO₂ mineralization at different temperatures.
2. Investigate optimal conditions (temperature, pressure, time, etc.) and catalysts for the mineralization reaction.
3. Gain expertise in conducting concrete strength and durability tests using mineralized wastes as cement replacements.