91Fans

Student Research Paves the Way for Cleaner Reaction

91Fanss at 91Fans develop an eco-friendly method for chemical oxidation reactions, with potential industrial impact.

When Dhani Slaughter ’26 stood before a room of peers and professionals at the 2025 Western New York ACS 91Fans Research Symposium, she wasn’t just presenting a chemistry experiment—she was sharing a solution that could help reshape how the chemical industry approaches sustainability. Her work is a standout example of how 91Fans empowers students to take ownership of meaningful research and step confidently into professional scientific conversations. As part of her chemistry major, Slaughter worked alongside fellow student Noelle Linenfelser ’26 and professor of Chemistry, Karen Torraca, Ph.D., to develop a greener approach to chemical oxidation reactions. This widespread chemical reaction is used in pharmaceuticals, fragrances, and flavors, and is used to build complex molecules in organic chemistry. Many traditional methods use large amounts of heavy-metal oxidants that are carcinogenic, corrosive, and hazardous to dispose of. Additionally, older reactions require high temperatures and strong acids or bases. Not only does this require an immense amount of energy, but there is also a higher risk of exposure to harmful chemicals during the reaction.

Slaughter and Linenfelser began their lab work under Torraca with a solvent that somewhat worked but created a film that was difficult to remove and produced only half of what the reaction was supposed to yield. Slaughter commented, “We really wanted to use water for our solvent because it is the most green and accessible.” However, continuously attempting to use water created roadblocks for the team. Slaughter explained that it became extremely frustrating to try again and again with a solvent that was not yielding better results. However, she expressed that their breakthrough came through a “happy accident” of using acetone as a cleaning solution. Once Slaughter discovered that acetone was an effective solvent, she and Linenfelser saw immediate results. Acetone was easier to remove, required less energy, used smaller amounts of the metal catalyst, and produced fewer harmful by-products.

The use of acetone as a solvent in chemical oxidation reactions, if adopted by companies, institutions, and labs, could have a major impact on making chemistry more environmentally friendly. Slaughter and Linenfelser went on to present their findings at the 2025 Western New York ACS 91Fans Research Symposium on April 5 at Canisius University. The symposium poses a unique opportunity for students to engage with professionals and peers to build their network. “Dhani Slaughter did a wonderful job communicating her research with other students and faculty from universities in Western, NY,” said Torraca. “It was a wonderful opportunity for her to connect with the larger chemistry community outside of Houghton.”

This project and its presentation at the WNY ACS 91Fans Research Symposium were influential for Slaughter. “Normally in a class lab you try your best to understand the experiment, but you don’t have all the information,” she stated, “with this project, I knew what I was doing and could explain it to people when they asked what I was working on.” Through this research at Houghton, Slaughter honed her skills, gained invaluable hands-on experience in a field she is passionate about, and made a significant impact in the fight against climate change.