Lea Goutal, an international student who grew up in Italy, is a Chemistry Specialist passionate about finding innovative chemical solutions to address the climate crisis. Recently, Lea gained hands-on experience as a summer intern at ETH Zurich under Prof. Maksym Kovalenko, where she focused on developing zwitterionic ligands to enhance the stability of CsPbBr3-based perovskites in polar solvents.
Currently, Lea is working under Prof. Mark Wilson on fabricating AgBiS2 quantum dots for solid-state devices.
Program: 4th Year Chemistry Specialist
Campus: St. George
Area of Interest: Nanotechnology
We asked:
What is the origin of your interest in chemistry?
At the beginning of high school, I took up black-and-white photography as an extracurricular activity, and it was during this time that I became captivated by the chemistry behind the process. I was intrigued by how a seemingly blank roll of film could transform into detailed images through a series of carefully timed chemical baths.Watching the images gradually appear on paper felt like magic, and I wanted to understand the science behind it. This curiosity about how chemicals interacted to create something so tangible sparked my deeper interest in chemistry and set me on the path to exploring how chemical principles shape the world around us.
You are currently doing research with Mark Wilson's research group. How did that come about?
My interest in nanotechnology and its applications led me to Prof. Wilson’s lab. While I had experience synthesizing quantum dots, I was eager to delve deeper by learning how to integrate these materials into devices and characterize their performance.
The opportunity to work with AgBiS2 quantum dots--an environmentally friendly alternative to heavy-metal-based quantum dots for diverse applications such as solar cells, photovoltaics, and optoelectronics--aligns perfectly with my goal of developing innovative and sustainable solutions to pressing environmental challenges. Additionally, the lab’s strong expertise in spectroscopic techniques for characterizing nanomaterials was particularly appealing, as I aim to further develop my spectroscopic skills.
What is your favorite fact about chemistry?
It's not so much a fact as it is a story. The Lycurgus Cup, a 4th-century Roman artifact, is made from dichroic glass that changes color depending on the light. When lit from behind, it glows red, and when lit from the front, it appears green. This astonishing effect is due to the presence of tiny gold and silver nanoparticles in the glass. However, the Romans had no idea what caused this phenomenon, and they couldn’t have deliberately added such an incredibly low concentration of gold to the glass. It was likely the result of accidental 'contamination,' yet the outcome is a fascinating blend of art and chemistry.