Journal of Chemical Education最新文献

FindLab! is an engaging and competitive educational board game designed to develop observational skills and reinforce laboratory knowledge among chemistry students. The game challenges players to quickly identify key elements in a simulated laboratory environment, combining fun gameplay with meaningful learning outcomes. We implemented FindLab! with undergraduate students at Facultad de Quı́mica at UNAM, collecting quantitative and qualitative feedback to assess its effectiveness. FindLab! was tested with 84 first- and second-semester students. The statistically analyzed results demonstrated possible improvements in both the general knowledge of teaching laboratories and theoretical aspects (calculations associated with laboratory work). FindLab! was also evaluated in terms of playability, content, and usefulness using a Likert-scale survey. We hypothesize that the game’s modular design and scalable difficulty make it adaptable for various educational contexts, from introductory courses to advanced laboratory instruction. FindLab! demonstrates how carefully designed educational games can effectively combine entertainment with measurable learning outcomes in chemical education.

A descriptive pedagogy is implemented for teaching a standalone inorganic chemistry laboratory course. The pedagogy overcomes laboratory teaching challenges in Jordan, including the limited receipt of funding to cover laboratory logistics. The implemented pedagogy reinforces lecture course concepts using a descriptive science method rather than using physical methods while remaining aligned with the institutional learning outcomes. Each experiment allowed the qualitative investigation of the apparent color in a pair of relevant complexes. The implementation process involved dividing students into two main groups. Each group was assigned one complex of the pair, and then, it was divided into subgroups of two students. The subgroups prepared the assigned complexes using affordable setups. They were characterized by simple chemical and instrumental techniques. The laboratory activities ensure that students work in groups and their communication skills are improved by oral discussions of the results at the subgroup and main group levels. The pedagogy stimulates students’ deductive reasoning skills to justify visual observations. The verification of a compound’s identity engages students in various methods of data collection, data analysis, and error analysis. The proposed pedagogy is pertinent to institutions facing comparable circumstances.

Activities, calculations, and demonstrations related to the solubility of hydroxyapatite (Ca₅(PO₄)₃OH), which is the main component in tooth enamel, are described. The colorful demonstration described for General Chemistry classes provides students with an example that allows for various calculations using the solubility product constant, K_sp. For Analytical Chemistry, the solubility of hydroxyapatite is explored though calculations performed in Microsoft Excel. The Excel activity integrates the topics of the solubility of inorganic salts, pH, acid–base chemistry, and the systematic treatment of equilibria.

Here, we developed Chem Lab Auto – Pi Pico, a low-cost, open-source automation platform based on the Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller unit (MCU) and other easily accessible electronic components. The apparatus is beginner friendly and requires as little specialized knowledge as possible. All parts can be purchased directly through the Webstore, making the project easy to practice for everyone. Programmed by the MicroPython language, the integration and automated operation of commercialized devices can be achieved. All documents required for assembling this apparatus are provided to facilitate students/researchers in the adoption and adaption based on this prototype, which makes it easily adapted to undergraduate classroom teaching and prepares them to become chemists proficient in automation tools. Through appropriate modifications, students and researchers can achieve seamless integration and automated control with existing commercial laboratory equipment, thereby fully leveraging the potential of their current device resources.

Service chemistry courses often struggle to balance disciplinary coverage with the professional needs of nonchemistry majors. At many institutions, engineering students complete only the first semester of general chemistry or a compressed one-semester version, leaving critical topics such as crystal structures, phase behavior, and electrochemistry marginalized or omitted. To address this challenge, Chemistry for Engineers at the University of Kansas was redesigned using an “engineering-first” approach. The sequence was organized around engineering themes─metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, combustion, water chemistry, and corrosion─with chemistry serving as the interpretive lens, rather than engineering appearing only as appended examples. Survey data (N = 259) indicated that more than 80% of students judged the curriculum relevant to their careers and better connected to engineering applications, and two-thirds reported increased interest in chemistry. Institutional records of DFW rates (grades of D, F, or Withdrawal) from Fall 2014 to Fall 2024 provide additional context, showing that the redesigned course coincides with a period of relatively low and stable attrition within a longer-term downward trend. This case suggests that reorganizing chemistry instruction around disciplinary applications can support student motivation and persistence while maintaining conceptual rigor. Although developed for engineering, the model points toward a broader shift for service chemistry: from discipline-centered to application-centered design, offering a transferable framework for aligning chemistry instruction with the needs of partner fields.

Ionic equations are challenging for high school students due to their abstract and complex nature. Although gamified teaching has shown promise in enhancing learning motivation and engagement in chemical education, there is a lack of specialized gamification tools for ionic equations. To address this, EquaChem Deck, a card game integrating core ionic equation knowledge into gameplay, has been developed. The game includes 200 substance cards and 50 condition cards, with rules inspired by Texas Hold’em. It creates an engaging learning environment that encourages students to explore, apply, and internalize knowledge related to ionic equations. Classroom implementation with 48 high school students revealed a significant improvement in test scores, demonstrating the game’s effectiveness in enhancing mastery of ionic equations across proficiency levels. Student feedback highlights the game’s appeal and educational value, confirming the effectiveness of its competitive and interactive elements in promoting active learning. This innovative tool offers chemistry educators a practical approach to teaching abstract ionic equation concepts, advancing chemical education methods, and improving student learning efficiency and quality in this challenging area.

Students of biochemistry are routinely taught that there are two primary electron carriers in catabolism: nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺/NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD/FADH₂). In fact, the latter is not at all a “carrier” in the sense of a diffusible coenzyme that “carries” electrons. Rather, it is a tightly bound cofactor that catalyzes intraenzyme electron transfers. Yet we persist in presenting FADH₂ as an intermediate in aerobic respiration, and overuse of this approximation, coupled with ambiguous diagrams and descriptions, can lead to propagation of serious misconceptions about respiration. I discuss the appeal and limitations of the narrative that FAD(H₂) is an electron carrier, contrast it with an alternate conception that disposes of FADH₂ “yields” entirely, and suggest a hybrid conceptualization of aerobic respiration that emphasizes the various multienzyme pathways that supply the electron transport chain via FAD(H₂). This latter model preserves the notion of FADH₂ “yields” and the simplicity of two classes of electrons, while minimizing the risk of misconceptions associated with treating FAD(H₂) as a reactant or product.

A critical component of various water purification technologies is the adsorption of contaminants from solution onto properly designed solid surfaces. This necessitates the understanding of adsorption of species from solution onto solid surfaces. Undergraduate students are typically only introduced to gas on solid adsorption phenomena, and this comprehensive experiment, which systematically compares the adsorption characteristics of phosphate ions on various types of activated carbon surfaces, is designed to enhance junior-year undergraduates’ understanding of the thermodynamics of such adsorption processes, particularly those majoring in materials chemistry, applied chemistry, and related disciplines, and those who are preparing to engage in advanced coursework and engineering practice. The results indicate that, through this experiment, students gain firsthand experience and recognize that multilayer adsorption becomes significant and inevitable under high adsorbate concentrations. Furthermore, by comparing the data, students observe that the multilayer adsorption theoretical models─specifically, the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) isotherm equation─demonstrate excellent agreement with experimental results. At the same time, through analysis, students come to understand that monolayer adsorption models, including the Langmuir and Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm equations, effectively describe the thermodynamic behavior of the adsorption process within their respective theoretical domains.

Two-dimensional (2D) metal halide perovskites are promising next generation semiconducting materials at the forefront of research in solar cells, LEDs, and other devices. Here, we report on an undergraduate intermediate analytical chemistry laboratory experience where students were taught fundamental chemistry concepts, including solubility, complexation, spectroscopy, and microscopy, through the introduction and study of 2D halide perovskite materials. Students explore multiple facets of perovskite synthesis, structure, and properties through a modular set of experiments that students used to form a holistic picture of this material. Importantly, this inquiry-based lab supports students through a guided research process, and students report high interest and learning gains from an end of the semester survey. We further discuss ways to adapt this lab to course, student, equipment, and budget needs. Overall, this laboratory experience teaches and applies the fundamental concepts and tools of analytical chemistry to the contemporary materials research field.

This laboratory experiment is designed for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs, offering students immersive, hands-on research opportunities in the synthesis and characterization of magnetic materials. It emphasizes the foundational principles of magnetism, explores the essential properties of magnetic materials, and introduces various characterization techniques. The protocol highlights the significance of magnetite-based materials in diverse applications, providing a focused investigation into magnetic exchange coupling and enabling students to connect fundamental magnetic phenomena with cutting-edge research. Students conduct four experiments to prepare magnetite-based composites that incorporate both titanium and cobalt oxides. This approach allows them to explore magnetic exchange coupling and examine the resulting magnetic properties. By combining magnetite (Fe₃O₄), a well-known magnetic material, with titanium dioxide (TiO₂), a diamagnetic oxide, and cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄), a strong ferrimagnetic oxide with high coercivity, students investigate how the interaction between soft and hard magnetic phases affects overall magnetization behavior and magnetic coupling efficiency. Students then characterize these composites using techniques such as X-ray diffraction and vibrating sample magnetometry to study their magnetic properties and chemical structure, deepening their understanding of how these factors influence material behavior. This integrated approach reinforces core concepts of magnetism, materials science, and engineering while equipping students with practical skills in material preparation and characterization.