Anastasia Antropova is a rising junior transferring to the University of Massachusetts
Amherst after completing an associate's degree in chemistry at Holyoke Community College. This summer she is working in the Sun research group, which specializes in electrochemistry and photochemistry for both sustainability and biological applications. Alongside graduate student Morgan Huddleston, she is developing a synthesis of 4′-Benzaldehyde-aza-18-crown-6 ether from p-fluorobenzaldehyde and aza-18-crown-6 ether. This is part of a larger synthesis of a photosensitizing probe that will be tested by graduate student Rui Chen. Introducing the aza-18-crown-6 ether into this probe allows the molecule to capture potassium and sodium ions, leading to condition-specific functionality. Ultimately, this probe can provide information on subcellular dynamics that will be used to develop pharmaceuticals.