PULLMAN, Wash. The National Science Foundation has awarded $650,000 to two chemistry faculty members at Washington State University for a research project designed to improve chemical models related to solar-electric energy and other light-sensitive applications.
The funds will support work by professors Ursula Mazur and Jeanne McHale as well as their graduate and undergraduate students. Both Mazur and McHale have experience working on the chemistry of light-sensitive molecules, a field that has applications in solar-electric energy, light sensors and specialized molecular electronics. The study involves understanding the structure and behavior of molecules crucial to matter-light interactions.
The researchers will consult the light-sensitive molecules that have evolved in plants over the course of Earth history. These molecules can provide insight into the most effective applications in turning light energy into electron flow.
The two faculty members will do outreach work based on this project with Native American and Hispanic students by participating in WSU’s “Pumping Up the Math and Science Pipeline” program. The program engages high-risk high school students in research projects in plant science and alternative energy.
