Chemistry PhD student Karthika Kadassery fills a glass Dewar flask with liquid nitrogen to trap organic solvents created during chemical reactions.

David Lacy (second from left), assistant professor of chemistry, with graduate students in his lab. Clockwise from left, excluding Lacy: Anthony Cannella, Vipulan Vigneswaran, Paul Fanara, Parami Gunasekera and Karthika Kadassery.

The writing on the wall — or rather, on the hood! Diagrams sketched onto chemical fume hoods depict the work the Lacy Lab is doing. Among other projects, team members are developing manganese-based compounds that could serve as alternatives to ruthenium catalysts, which are used in the food, energy and pharmaceutical industries.

David Lacy (right), assistant professor of chemistry, speaks with chemistry PhD student Paul Fanara.

Chemistry PhD student Anthony Cannella works with a glovebox, a contained workspace where scientists can conduct experiments in a highly controlled environment free of oxygen and moisture. Cannella’s research focuses in part on studying the properties of iron-based compounds that mimic non-heme enzymes, which carry out a number of important biological processes in the human body.

Some of the compounds the Lacy Lab works with must be synthesized and tested in a glovebox, a contained workspace where scientists can conduct experiments in a highly controlled environment free of oxygen and moisture.

Chemistry PhD student Karthika Kadassery mixes reagents to prepare a manganese-based precatalyst developed in the Lacy Lab. Manganese-based compounds could serve as alternatives to ruthenium catalysts, which are used in the food, energy and pharmaceutical industries.

Chemistry PhD student Karthika Kadassery inspects her flask for bubbles and a color change, sure indicators that a reaction is taking place.