Journal of Chemical Education最新文献

Sustainable development and green chemistry applications are at the forefront of research and chemistry education as chemists begin to respond to the transgression of planetary boundaries, such as the climate crisis. As such, innovative methods to explore learning and research at chemistry conferences (the professional’s classroom) are required to assist researchers in building their professional network, innovating in their field, and expanding their knowledge in sustainable design. Herin, we describe the development and application of a series of real-world, active learning activities focused on sustainability as it relates to inorganic chemistry, specifically base metal catalysis. Together the activities were hosted during the Societal Impacts of Inorganic Chemistry symposium at the 2023 Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition, representing the first example of a hands-on symposium in the inorganic division at this conference. Due to the broad range and application of the symposium activities described, researchers and educators alike can take inspiration from this interactive approach to engage their communities in the discussion of sustainability and inorganic chemistry.

Educating students about green chemistry (GC) enables them to address environmental challenges and tackle issues in the promotion of sustainable development. However, Filipino high school chemistry teachers lack the expertise to utilize existing GC education resources. Hence, this study primarily aims to address the need to utilize localized learning materials in incorporating green chemistry (GC) principles into the secondary science curriculum. This was implemented in two distinct phases: (1) development of learning modules incorporated with GC principles labeled as Green Modules through the Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) approach and (2) classroom implementation and assessment of knowledge, awareness, and practices toward GC and sustainability. The Green Modules were rated as “very satisfactory” in terms of content, format, presentation, organization, accuracy, and up-to-dateness of information. The classroom utilization of the Green Modules has revealed positive results on the learners’ assessed domains. There were statistically significant differences in the knowledge proficiency, awareness level, and practices toward GC and sustainability among the learners who utilized the GC-integrated learning modules through POGIL and those who used the default General Chemistry learning modules. Hence, incorporating GC concepts into the learning modules coupled with guided inquiry and hands-on experiments can heighten GC knowledge, awareness, and practices. The results of this study could pave the way for more exploration in the design and content of the GC-integrated lessons and strengthen the scope of the integration of GC in the curriculum.

A series of spreadsheets, organized by traditional general chemistry topics, was made for batch production of questions that involve mathematical calculations for general chemistry courses. To use the files, the instructor only needs to change the starting data, and a unique question will be generated, including the correct answer and plausible distractors. Guided feedback accompanies the distractors for incorporation into an assignment the instructor may create on a Learning Management System or for any offline use.

The great discovery of quantum dots (QDs) paves the way for progress in next-generation display technology based on light-emitting diodes (LEDs). It is of exceeding necessity to introduce the concept of QDs into chemistry curricula as well as their LEDs application. Here we introduce carbon quantum dots (CQDs), a more eco-friendly alternative to heavy-metal semiconductor QDs, as a model to demonstrate LED fabrication of size-dependent CQDs in a teaching laboratory among upper-level undergraduate students. Blue, green, and red fluorescent CQDs with a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) were readily synthesized via a simple and rapid heating reaction at atmospheric pressure. Their size dependent properties would then be visible to the naked eye. Finally, the as-obtained CQDs combined with blue-LEDs strips to fabricate green, red, and white LEDs demonstrate display prospects, given their bright photoluminescence characteristics. This experiment provides students with a tangible understanding of several important concepts, such as quantum dots, quantum confinement effect, photoluminescence, and PLQY, as well as concepts related to display such as the red, green, and blue (RGB) primary colors, LEDs, and color converters. Additionally, this experiment involves different levels of knowledge such as material synthesis, characterization, and application, creating a truly interdisciplinary laboratory experience.

With the goal of bringing scientific research closer to students and stimulating their professional skills and competencies, this work is aimed at analyzing the benefits that High School students can obtain from performing scientific theoretical–practical activities, using residual biomass, that are generally conducted at the Higher Education level. The theoretical-practical activities performed were focused on the following themes: sustainability, organic solid waste, adsorbents, pollution, and water treatment. The practical activities were carried out using inexpensive household materials/resources; that is, without the need for expensive materials or laboratory equipment. To aid them in the conduct of the theoretical activities, the students were provided professional guidance and orientation on how to prepare scientific reports, perform searches on Google Scholar, and access search systems to obtain scientific materials and publications through databases, repositories, portals and specialized Web sites. The conduct of the proposed scientific theoretical-practical activities helped stimulate the High School students’ autonomy to perform experiments, understand the importance of scientific writing and how to write a scientific essay. Students who participated in the meetings said that the activities played an important role in helping them understand and associate chemistry concepts with issues related to the environment and sustainability.

The use of renewable feedstocks such as biomass aligns with global priorities such as sustainability and climate change. Integrating these materials into experiments helps students understand the real-world relevance of chemistry to addressing environmental challenges. Here, we show that the use of biochar as a renewable feedstock provides an inquiry-based laboratory activity that gives students the opportunity to engage in an authentic investigative process. This activity describes a cocurricular summer workshop carried out with undergraduate students who had no prior research experience. The activity combined the Boehm titration as a chemical method for the analysis of biochar coupled with spectroscopic techniques. The workshop was designed to be collaborative in nature, where students collectively contributed to the overall experimental results and discussion. The motivation for the activity stems from a student undertaking a longer Undergraduate Research Experience (URE) in the form of a summer research placement and based on this work designing a research experience workshop that could be rolled out to benefit a larger number of students. We believe this approach of using longer or individual UREs to develop research-focused initiatives could be readily adopted by other UREs to promote and develop research skills.

The hydration of olefins is a crucial method in the synthesis of alcohols. Compared to the conventional acid catalysis, oxymercuration/demercuration, and hydroboration/oxidation methods, the Mukaiyama hydration reaction has garnered significant attention in the realm of organic synthesis owing to its merits that encompass mild reaction conditions, easy operational procedures, and the use of a low-toxicity catalyst. However, this reaction has rarely been mentioned in undergraduate textbooks and has not yet been incorporated into laboratory teaching curricula. Here, an experiment is described that includes manganese-catalyzed Mukaiyama hydration of but-3-ene-1,1-diyldibenzene, which is targeted at third-year undergraduates. This process involves utilizing thin layer chromatography (TLC) to monitor the progress of the reaction, isolating the target product through column chromatography, and analyzing the product using ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology. This experiment not only enables students to master the skills of performing the Mukaiyama hydration reaction but also stimulates their interest in organic chemistry, laying a solid foundation for their future scientific research endeavors.

The use of renewable feedstocks such as biomass aligns with global priorities such as sustainability and climate change. Integrating these materials into experiments helps students understand the real-world relevance of chemistry to addressing environmental challenges. Here, we show that the use of biochar as a renewable feedstock provides an inquiry-based laboratory activity that gives students the opportunity to engage in an authentic investigative process. This activity describes a cocurricular summer workshop carried out with undergraduate students who had no prior research experience. The activity combined the Boehm titration as a chemical method for the analysis of biochar coupled with spectroscopic techniques. The workshop was designed to be collaborative in nature, where students collectively contributed to the overall experimental results and discussion. The motivation for the activity stems from a student undertaking a longer Undergraduate Research Experience (URE) in the form of a summer research placement and based on this work designing a research experience workshop that could be rolled out to benefit a larger number of students. We believe this approach of using longer or individual UREs to develop research-focused initiatives could be readily adopted by other UREs to promote and develop research skills.

The subject of pharmaceutical research has traditionally focused on drugs with systemic effects. However, contemporary approaches aspire to achieve targeted drug delivery, with the aim of combatting infections with a precise immune response. Active substances are encapsulated in nanoparticles, transported through the body, and selectively released at the affected organ or tissue. Consequently, the local dosage can be increased, while the overall dosage required for a successful treatment is reduced. The occurrence of side effects is minimized through the utilization of nanoparticulate drug delivery systems (DDSs). This publication presents a practical laboratory course on the topic of drug delivery in which students synthesize and load nanoparticles using the dialysis method. Finally, the students experimentally investigate the pH-dependent release. The experiments have already been carried out with a total of 104 students in pair work in student laboratory courses. The results show that this practical course helps the students understand the background of nanoparticle formulating. The comparatively simple implementation and the high effect size support the students’ understanding.

Approximately 300 students from 9 schools participated in a workshop that showcased careers in the chemical industries and provided an active learning experience through contextualized teaching. While spectroscopy/analytical chemistry outreach activities are commonly delivered using smartphones, inequitable access to such devices and changes to government policy on their use in schools has meant there is a need to design workshops that are not dependent on smartphones. In this activity, students were tasked with producing a calibration curve (of concentration vs light intensity) that allowed them to determine the unknown concentration of a “toxic” dye in a sample of medicine intended for children. Students and teachers have shared their opinions on the workshop through evaluation surveys. Students most enjoyed the active learning aspect of the workshop, and teachers considered that this was the most valuable aspect of the sessions. Students and teachers alike believed that they had learned about chemistry careers through the workshop. The workshop sessions were co-led by graduate students who have shared their personal reflections of the impact of participation for their career development and aspirations.