Undergraduate students share reflections on their summer research projects

Students in the Department of Materials have reflected on their summer research projects at Imperial College London.

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme is a research opportunities programme available to students at Imperial College London.

During a UROP, students can participate in real research and gain valuable experience in a research environment.

Investigation using ink

Aaron Edobor is a second undergraduate student who has completed an eight-week UROP with the group of Professor Cecilia Mattevi in the Department of Materials.

The Mattevi group are investigating direct ink writing of energy materials, which reduces waste and increases the sustainability of conventional energy devices.

During Aaron's placement, he was exposed to research on producing batteries and catalytic systems using 3D extrusion printing of ink formulations. 

Aaron commented on the placement, "It was really fun working with the Mattevi Group, and it gave me a lot of insight on a career in research along with PhD work."

Maser Mysteries

Shirley Xu is a fourth-year undergraduate student who has completed a ten-week UROP with the group of Professor Mark Oxborrow under the day-to-day supervision of Michael Newns in the Department of Materials.

Her research project aimed to design and develop a new setup (rig) to make growing high-quality crystals easier and more efficient. These crystals can be used in a process called optically pumped masing, which can be used to amplify signals with very little noise.

Shirley had first to figure out the best way to design the rig. This involved thinking about what mechanisms would work well and be easily assembled. She also had to consider what parts she could use, considering factors like shipping time. This required adapting her daily tasks to focus on these design challenges.

The second part of her research involved growing the crystals. After growing the crystals, Shirley analysed them using methods including, single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy, and pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR).

Shirley commented on the placement, "I have loved working with Mark Oxborrow and Michael Newns over the past ten weeks. I felt in control of my project, supported by my supervisors, and welcomed into the research group with open arms."

A sweet placement

Aakash is a second-year undergraduate student who has completed an eight-week UROP in the group of Dr Idris Kevin Mohamed in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. 

His placement focused on understanding the 3D Microstructural Analysis of Confectionery Treats. Aakash was tasked with inserting 2D images of a wafer’s microstructure into a 3D modelling software, Abaqus. This technique has enabled analysis of the impact of compression on the wafer at a microscopic level.

Commenting on the placement, Aakash said: "As a student who has just finished their first year, it was valuable to have an insight into engineering research.

I have gained an interest in food engineering and developed skills in independent working, time management, and learning to use image processing software."

Pentacene Puzzles

Anne-Sophie is a third-year undergraduate student who has completed an eight-week UROP in Professor Sandrine Heutz's group in the Department of Materials.

Her research project aimed to make organic copper-(I)-iodide templated pentacene solar cells using organic molecular beam deposition.

Pentacene is an organic semiconductor with high charge carrier mobility, which is promising for use in organic semiconductor devices. Templating using copper iodide allows for control of the orientation of the pentacene molecules, improving the mobility of the charge carriers in pentacene. Hence, the templating of pentacene can greatly improve the efficiency of devices made from it.  

Anne-Sophie's research project involved optimising the thickness of copper iodide used to get the maximum templating effect at the lowest thickness. During the project's second stage, she worked with the group to grow a full solar cell with the optimal copper iodide thickness and test its efficiency.

Anne-Sophie commented on the placement: "This is my second time working with the Heutz group during summer, and it has been an incredible experience on both occasions. Doing a UROP allowed me to get more insight into characterization and laboratory techniques we learned about in lectures.

It is a very rewarding experience that confirmed that I would like to continue researching after finishing my undergraduate studies."

Charging Ahead

Lola is a third-year undergraduate student who has completed an eight-week UROP in the group of Magda Titirici in the Department of Chemical Engineering. Lola's was sponsored by the Henry Royce Institute Internship Scheme.

Her project focused on developing sodium-ion batteries in fibre form, as a more sustainable alternative to lithium and suitable for uses such as wearable electronics. This included finding the ideal formulation for the electrodes, exploring coating methods and testing the electrochemical performance of the fibre batteries.