Current Projects

The Cadmium Rocket is a high-performance solid rocket built as part of a Level 2 certification for high-power rocketry. Designed to soar to approximately 10,000 feet, the rocket is engineered for precise altitude control, electronic separation, and full recoverability. It uses dual deployment charges controlled by an onboard flight computer, ensuring clean stage separation and parachute deployment at designated altitudes.

 

The rocket features a fiberglass airframe, high-thrust solid motor, and redundant electronic systems for both apogee and main chute deployment. Its structural integrity and aerodynamic profile were rigorously tested and simulated before construction, ensuring it can withstand the stresses of high-speed flight and sudden deceleration. The project also includes telemetry tracking and launch pad integration for real-time flight data.

 

Serving as both a personal milestone and a technical challenge, the Cadmium Rocket represents the synthesis of rocketry fundamentals—propulsion, aerodynamics, avionics, and recovery—all wrapped in a reusable, mission-ready platform. It sets the foundation for future, more advanced rocketry projects, including hybrid propulsion systems.

At the heart of this project is a high-powered, pulsed Nd:YAG laser system intended for lunar laser ranging experiments—bouncing photons off retroreflectors left on the Moon to measure the Earth-Moon distance with centimeter precision. The laser is powered by a custom-designed capacitor bank composed of ten 10,000 µF 400 V capacitors, capable of storing and discharging immense amounts of energy in microseconds to produce high-peak-power optical pulses.

 

The capacitor bank is assembled with thick copper bus bars, ceramic bleeder resistors, and robust safety measures, including Faraday shielding and anti-arcing isolation. Charging circuits and trigger systems are carefully designed to ensure precise control of pulse timing and energy delivery. The laser and optics are housed in a modular system allowing for beam expansion, polarization control, and accurate alignment with a distant lunar target.

 

This lunar ranging system serves both as a scientific experiment and a proof-of-concept for compact, high-energy photonics platforms. It demonstrates key principles of time-of-flight measurement, optical pulse generation, and capacitor discharge physics. Ultimately, this project is about pushing the boundaries of DIY precision measurement while engaging with real-world astrophysics challenges.

At the heart of this project is a comprehensive study of oxidation reactions involving aromatic compounds, centered on the controlled conversion of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde—a classic yet technically nuanced transformation in organic synthesis. The focus lies on achieving selective oxidation without over-conversion to benzoic acid, employing a range of reagents and catalytic systems to explore mechanistic pathways and optimize yield and purity.

 

The experimental design integrates both laboratory and analytical methods: careful control of temperature, solvent polarity, and oxidant stoichiometry ensures consistent aldehyde formation, while post-reaction recovery emphasizes solvent extraction, recrystallization, and vacuum distillation techniques. Each step is meticulously tuned to enhance product separation and minimize loss, offering a hands-on understanding of redox chemistry and purification science.

 

Beyond its chemical precision, this project illustrates the elegance of aromatic oxidation as a bridge between theoretical organic chemistry and practical laboratory craftsmanship. It highlights the interplay between molecular structure and reactivity, demonstrating how subtle changes in reaction environment dictate product outcomes. Ultimately, this review represents a deep dive into the transformation chemistry of benzylic systems—a blend of academic rigor and experimental curiosity aimed at refining small-scale chemical engineering techniques.

This project involves the design and construction of a fully functional Raman spectrometer using off-the-shelf optical components, custom 3D-printed mounts, and a precision alignment system. The goal is to make vibrational spectroscopy accessible and affordable without sacrificing analytical power, allowing for molecular identification and chemical structure analysis in a compact, lab-built format. A diode laser, beam splitter, optical filters, and a CCD spectrometer form the core of the system.

 

By designing the optical path with adjustable mounts and broadband dielectric mirrors, the spectrometer can be tuned for optimal Raman shift detection in the visible and near-infrared range. A front-surface mirror and carefully aligned lens system ensure maximum signal collection from the sample while minimizing stray light and Rayleigh scatter. The instrument is mounted on an optical breadboard for stability, with all components secured for repeatable experiments.

 

This system enables chemical identification of solids, liquids, and powders, including pigments, polymers, and potential contaminants. It’s a stepping stone toward more advanced spectroscopy setups and offers opportunities for custom fluorescence filtering, remote sampling, and integration with laser sources of varying wavelengths. Ideal for students, researchers, and makers alike, this project embodies the blend of scientific rigor and DIY innovation.

To support the safe handling of volatile chemicals, toxic reagents, and fine particulate matter, this custom-built lab fume hood was designed for a compact lab space while offering performance comparable to commercial units. Constructed from durable, chemical-resistant materials, the fume hood features a polycarbonate sash, gasketed airflow zones, and a powerful ducted ventilation system with HEPA and activated carbon filtration.

 

Airflow is actively monitored and controlled to maintain negative pressure and direct contaminants away from the user, making the fume hood suitable for acid/base reactions, solvent use, and small-scale synthesis. Integrated lighting, power access, and modular shelving make the workspace flexible and ergonomic. The system is also designed to accommodate tubing ports, vacuum lines, and magnetic stirrer plates as needed.

 

This fume hood is part of a broader commitment to lab safety and experimental integrity. By incorporating DIY engineering with a scientific understanding of airflow dynamics and material compatibility, the project provides a cost-effective alternative to commercial hoods while maintaining critical safety standards for experimental work.

At the core of this research is an exploration of quantum dots (QDs)—nanoscale semiconductor crystals whose optical and electronic properties are defined by quantum confinement. The project encompasses a diverse range of materials, including cadmium selenide (CdSe), zinc oxide (ZnO), carbon-based quantum dots (CQDs), and indium phosphide (InP) along with related phosphide compounds. Each system offers unique tunability in emission wavelength, bandgap, and surface chemistry, forming a broad platform for investigating nanoscale photophysics and optoelectronic behavior.

 

The hydrothermal synthesis approach serves as the foundation for this work, enabling precise control of particle size, crystallinity, and surface passivation under high-temperature, high-pressure aqueous conditions. By varying precursors, pH, reaction time, and capping agents, the synthesis process can produce monodisperse nanocrystals with tailored emission profiles spanning from ultraviolet to near-infrared. This method also supports eco-friendly pathways for carbon and InP quantum dots, offering lower toxicity alternatives to traditional cadmium-based systems without sacrificing photoluminescence efficiency.

 

Post-synthesis, the project emphasizes recovery, purification, and characterization, employing centrifugation, solvent exchange, and ligand stabilization to isolate clean, stable colloidal dispersions. Optical spectroscopy (UV-Vis, photoluminescence), X-ray diffraction, and electron microscopy provide quantitative insight into size distribution and quantum yield.

 

Ultimately, this quantum dot research bridges nanochemistry, materials science, and photonic engineering—demonstrating how hydrothermal synthesis can create quantum-confined materials with applications ranging from LEDs and photovoltaics to bioimaging and quantum computing. It reflects a commitment to scalable, sustainable nanomaterial innovation while probing the fundamental link between atomic structure and quantum behavior.