Evidence
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This is our Chemists are Artists Project. Our objective for this project was to use chemistry to create art for our new STEM Marin building. We decided to use chemistry in order to create three paintings that belonged to our Dark- Light collection. The paint we used was a special pigment that changes color under UV light. Because of this, we decided to focus on the element of art known as contrast, which is the difference in artistic elements; such as color, value, size, or texture; hence the name of our collection.
Content
For our project, we had to use chemistry to explain how our paint works. In order to do this, we attempted to make a paint. Our plan was to use a kit with thionin, water, sulfuric acid, and iron (II) sulfate, to create a solution that would react with light for our paint. When mixing the substances together, it creates a reduction-oxidation, or redox reaction. An oxidation reaction is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of the atoms are changed due to the transfer of electrons. For our solution, the thionin is initially in an oxidized state, meaning it has lost electrons. This gives the thionin a purple color. Upon exposure to UV light, the iron (II) ions are oxidized to iron (III) and the thionin is reduced to a colorless liquid. When taken away from the UV light, the iron (III) is reduced back to iron (II) and the thionin again oxidizes, returning to its purple color. We tried to use this solution in our painting. However, it did not work out so we resorted to pre-made pigments.
For our pigment, it is made of a photochromic, organic compound called, diarylethene. The structure is of it is an aromatic formation (a ring formation), bonded to the ends of a carbon-carbon double bond (a covalent bond involving four valence electrons). When our pigment is exposed to UV light, the pigment undergoes an E-Z isomerization, meaning the molecule goes from a higher energy level to a lower energy level. This spike in energy is enough to rearrange the structure of the molecule, thus revealing its color (Z). When the pigment is taken out of the UV light, the energy level drops. Because of this, the molecule reverts back to its original structure, thus losing its color (E). We were able to use this pigment by mixing it with clear paint to allow the UV light to react with the diarylethene, while using it to paint. By mixing the clear paint with the pigment, we were left with a paint that changes color.
For our pigment, it is made of a photochromic, organic compound called, diarylethene. The structure is of it is an aromatic formation (a ring formation), bonded to the ends of a carbon-carbon double bond (a covalent bond involving four valence electrons). When our pigment is exposed to UV light, the pigment undergoes an E-Z isomerization, meaning the molecule goes from a higher energy level to a lower energy level. This spike in energy is enough to rearrange the structure of the molecule, thus revealing its color (Z). When the pigment is taken out of the UV light, the energy level drops. Because of this, the molecule reverts back to its original structure, thus losing its color (E). We were able to use this pigment by mixing it with clear paint to allow the UV light to react with the diarylethene, while using it to paint. By mixing the clear paint with the pigment, we were left with a paint that changes color.
Conclusion
Overall, this project was fun. It allowed me to explore the creative possibilities within science in an interesting way. It was also relaxing at times, just sitting down and creating an art piece, which is something I don't do often, and this project definitely sparked some creative interest in me. At the same time, it was interesting to explore the many ways chemistry can be applied to the world around us and I learned a lot. That being said, there were some high points during our process. For one, I thought we had good work ethic when it came to creating our pieces. The creation of our pieces was a fun way to present our work and research. Because of this, we felt motivated to create something that is unique to us and stands out. If we can continue this type of motivation and work ethic to get projects done, our group can be successful. Another thing that we did well on was our brainstorming process. Gathering ideas for project is the first and arguably the most important step when working on a project. I felt like everyone was open and honest with everyone's ideas, which helped our group move forward smoothly. We were also clear on what types of individual art pieces we wanted to make so there was no conflict there. If our brainstorming process could go as smoothly as this, our group can be successful. Though we had our triumphs, there were areas that needed improvement. For one, most of the work fell heavily on one person. This led to huge stress within the group, and it cost us, as we were unable to complete our project on time. Despite this, we pulled through and were able to finish our project. If we can try to stay on task and better distribute work, we will be able to work more efficiently and get work done in a timely manner. Another area that I could've improved on was a my communication as a leader. While our communication was going well during the brainstorming process, it was lacking afterwards. I felt that I could've done a better job motivating my group to stay on task and get our presentation done. Because of this, I ended up putting most of the work on me, instead of relying on my teammates. If I can find a way to motivate my group and be more open, my communication skills would improve and our group will be more functional.