Beyond Silicon: How Weber State Undergrads Are Shaping Next-Gen Flexible Tech

Clean energy, flexible electronic screens, and next-generation medical technology all rely on advances in the chemical makeup of materials. Ranga Don Wahalathantrige, chemistry instructor at Weber State, directs an impressive group of students who conduct organic chemistry research to advance materials science. Their research is laying the groundwork for next-generation flexible electronics and includes ongoing efforts to advance smart medical diagnostics and robotic interfaces. 

Weber State students Rylie Gonzales, Jaxson Smith, Celeste Caballero, and Jaide Crittenden make up this semester’s research team. Their work at this ambitious level offers these students the opportunity to develop advanced laboratory, critical-thinking, and technical skills, publish meaningful research, and gain a competitive edge for graduate school and industry careers. They manage lab functions, lead and organize workflows, and report back with one another on their progress, turning academic experiences into real-world impact.

This focus on student professional development is intentional. Don explained that the research group is designed to give students opportunities beyond simply learning chemistry. 

Intentional preparation for professional development with a caring and engaged faculty mentor also benefits students pursuing graduate school. Celeste Caballero expressed, 

“Because I am planning to apply to grad school, the most obvious route for me was research opportunities. I wanted to find faculty who matched my energy, someone I knew I could go to, and who would help. I took Organic Chemistry from Dr. Don and really liked how he teaches, so I just asked him about doing research. ” 

Beyond professional development, the research team has also seen great success in chemical material advancements. Independently, they have produced graduate-level synthetic protocols, creating cross-coupling catalytic reactions, monomer isolation, and characterization, and authored grant proposals, securing over $10,000 to fund their research. They are also planning to present their findings at the American Chemical Society (ACS) regional conference in the spring. This opportunity will allow them to network with the broader scientific community prior to entering graduate and medical programs. 

The science behind their research includes understanding that standard silicon powers everything from our smartphones to our solar panels. But despite its ubiquity, silicon has two major flaws: refining it requires an incredibly expensive, ultra-pure manufacturing process, and the resulting crystals are rigid, brittle, and prone to snapping under stress.

To solve this, the research team is developing electrically conducting organic polymers. Unlike rigid silicon, these flexible macromolecules can bend and flex without losing performance, while also offering superior film-forming capabilities. Even better? They absorb energy far more efficiently than standard silicon—paving the way for a lighter, higher-performing alternative to conventional solar panels.

The students are learning that this groundbreaking material sits at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and engineering, opening up whole new possibilities for flexible, high-efficiency technology. Understanding chemistry in a more practical way, Jaxson Smith explained, helped him see how the concepts he was learning could eventually be “the actual concepts that you're going to put in your future to create new polymers or new medicines that can better humanity.” 

Through hard work and interdepartmental collaboration, we see what undergraduate students can accomplish when given the opportunity to engage in demanding research. Their experience shows that undergraduate research is a great opportunity to expand academic knowledge, enhance professional development, and contribute to meaningful solutions to real-world concerns.