Virginia Larson Email & Phone Number

Golden, Colorado, United States

Researching liquid alkaline water electrolysis with H2NEW, with a focus on understanding the degradation mechanisms over long-term catalysis and the impact of electrolyte impurities.

• With Prof. Nicolai Lehnert, Chemistry Department
• Researching earth-abundant transition metal molecular complexes for water splitting
• Synthesizing sensitive thiol ligands and cobalt complexes, preparing thin film electrodes and evaluating catalysts using electrochemical techniques
• Collaborating internationally on reactive first row transition metal-oxygen species.
• Gaining expertise in a variety of techniques including mass spec.; paramagnetic, 2D, and fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR); electrochemistry; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); nuclear vibrational.

• Taught students problem-solving skills and chemistry concepts
• Mentored graduate student instructors to improve teaching skills
• Taught organic chemistry students proper technique and safety in lab

• Chemistry lab course teaching assistant
• Assisted professors in updating course material
• Helped students in lab understand and perform experiments

• Organized the chemicals and equipment
• Distributed materials to and prepared solutions for lower-level chemistry labs

• REU; Environmental Summer Research Program in Chemistry, Physics, and Materials Science With Dr. Michael Haley, Chemistry Department
• Synthesized a new isomer in the fluorenofluorene family of large, conjugated hydrocarbons using air free Schlenk synthesis techniques.
• Analyzed compounds using proton, carbon, and boron NMR.

• Lando/NSF Summer Research Program With Dr. Ian Tonks, Chemistry Department
• Synthesized multistep organic molecules following literature procedures using several organic techniques and characterized products via proton NMR
• Worked in a glove box to prepare air sensitive organo-titanium complexes

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Inorganic Chemistry

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Chemistry