Using this grant, Zhang will make progress toward finding the explanation for a colorful phenomenon. Single molecules of the same dye species show different colors, but these differences can only be observed through a specific grade of microscope.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe color variation, spectral heterogeneity, is so large that it goes beyond what any current chemistry theory can explain,\u201d Yang says. \u201cWe are trying to quantify this property for different dye libraries and connect how big the heterogeneity is with the structure to establish a theory to explain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, he will explore mechanisms that have the potential to control those color differences and innovate imaging techniques that can more readily depict this molecular-level variance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This fundamental research will open the door to addressing even broader scientific challenges in the fields of health and materials science, among others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspiring young scientists <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Support from the NSF\u2019s CAREER grant will also improve science education for K-12 and graduate students. Zhang will work with teachers to develop and implement classroom curricula in the areas of color chemistry and machine learning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He will also work with organizers at the North Carolina Science Olympiad to create summer camps, a yearly event and a statewide contest related to his area of research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe educational programs yielded from this project will cultivate the next generation of chemists with cross-disciplinary and computational thinking skills,\u201d Zhang says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ultimate goal is to generate more interest in chemistry-related careers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Assistant Professor Yang Zhang\u2019s funding from the National Science Foundation will advance researchers\u2019 understanding of fluorescent dyes and foster a new generation of chemists.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":32773,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"Sarah Stone","ncst_show_custom_author":true,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"displayCategoryID\":512,\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"subtitle\":\"Assistant Professor Yang Zhang\u2019s funding from the National Science Foundation will advance researchers\u2019 understanding of fluorescent dyes and foster a new generation of chemists.\"}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[512,479],"tags":[1143,1668,2327,504,1382],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"class_list":["post-72496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research-and-innovation","category-tecs","tag-department-of-textile-engineering-chemistry-and-science","tag-faculty","tag-faculty-research","tag-research","tag-wilson-college-of-textiles"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":512,"name":"Research and Innovation","slug":"research-and-innovation","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":512,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":253,"filter":"raw"},"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":""},"yoast_head":"