Why I love chemistry
J Yoon Noh, a 12th grade student at Seoul International School
On the 4th of this month, the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was officially announced. Unfortunately, a substantial leak of the laureates' list before the official announcement has diverted attention from the specific research behind this year's award. As a dedicated student of chemistry, I cannot help but feel a sense of disappointment.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2023 to Moungi G. Bawendi of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Louis E. Brus of Columbia University and Alexei I. Ekimov of Nanocrystals Technology for their discovery and synthesis of quantum dots.
Quantum dots are nanoparticles so tiny that their size determines their properties. This principle is closely related to what we commonly see in QLED TVs and LED lamps.
However, I must confess that what genuinely piqued my interest in their work wasn't just its scientific significance but the captivating and picturesque images that accompanied the related materials.
When different-sized nano-semiconductors of the same molecule were placed in small test tubes and exposed to ultraviolet light, each test tube emitted fluorescent light in a spectrum of colors, similar to that of a rainbow. I couldn't help but notice that these captivating images bore a unique resemblance to the vibrant ensemble of neon highlighters inside my pencil case.
As my thoughts reached this point, memories of a recent bismuth project I had undertaken came to mind. Perhaps my fascination with such things dates back to my early childhood when I used to pester my parents to buy me all sorts of oddly shaped and colored rocks and crystals from souvenir stores in the U.S. national parks we visited.
Bismuth is a chemical element ― atomic number 83 ― and its crystallization is influenced by an array of delicate external factors such as temperature and vibrational frequencies. Sparked by a burning curiosity, I ventured into the crystallization mechanisms behind bismuth, conducting a hands-on project on how my favorite songs from various musical genres and sonic wavelengths affected the crystallization process of bismuth.
While this year’s Nobel Prize research focused on the influence of light on molecular observation, my bismuth crystallization project aimed to explore the effects of sound waves (vibrations) on the crystallization process.
My “Bismuth Symphony” project can be seen as a symphony composed of the intersection between science and art. In the twinkling facets of bismuth, you can witness the harmony of light, sound and matter. This exploration is meaningful not only in understanding the science behind crystallization but also in appreciating the inherent beauty and melody within the process.
Many people don’t have a fondness for chemistry. They often perceive it as a dull process filled with tedious memorization. It’s as if you have to commit the periodic table to memory and squint through a microscope until your eyes are tired or stuck in the lab doing research endlessly. Yes, perhaps that’s what chemistry may seem like.
However, an interest in chemistry can sprout from something as simple and close to home as my childhood passion for collecting rocks of various shapes and colors from national parks.
To cultivate more students with an interest in chemistry in South Korea, it is necessary to expose them to environments where they can engage in various experiences from a young age. During my time in the United States, my mother used to take me to the children's museum every Saturday, where I enjoyed hands-on experiences that helped me understand the laws of physics and chemistry.
However, upon moving to South Korea, I found it disappointing that there were very few neighborhood museums for children, leaving me longing for the joyful Saturdays of my childhood.
To address this gap, it's essential to establish more spaces where young students can engage in hands-on science experiences.
J Yoon Noh is a 12th-grade student at Seoul International School.