Synthesis of (Z)-alkenes is challenging because the (E) stereoisomers are usually more stable. Energy transfer photocatalysis has emerged as an efficient strategy for (E) [right arrow] (Z) alkene isomerization. We report the development of an advanced undergraduate laboratory experiment that introduces students to contemporary organic…

The principles of process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) are applied to the analysis of the emission spectrum of atomic hydrogen. Over the course of three learning cycles, students construct the hydrogen atom's energy level diagram and assign quantum numbers using their measurements of the Balmer series plus additional information on the…

A Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) experiment appropriate for an upper-level undergraduate laboratory such as chemical instrumentation is described. Students collect FTIR spectra of four protio-solvents and their deuterated analogues. In addition to qualitatively observing C-H and O-H peaks shift to lower energy upon deuteration, students apply a…

As an alternative to the traditional metallocene laboratory targets, students synthesize Cp[subscript 2]TiCl[subscript 2], bis([eta][superscript 5]-cyclopentadienyl)dichloridotitanium(IV), from the mildly moisture-sensitive cis-TiCl[subscript 4](thf)[subscript 2]. Air-free handling techniques are emphasized, but the (mostly) air-stable,…

The Beer-Lambert law is a fundamental relationship in chemistry that helps connect macroscopic experimental observations (i.e., the amount of light exiting a solution sample) to a symbolic model composed of system-level parameters (e.g., concentration values). Despite the wide use of the Beer-Lambert law in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum…

The use of three-dimensional printing in chemistry education has expanded greatly in the past 10 years. The technique has been used to demonstrate a range of concepts including molecular structure, orbitals, and point groups; to produce chemical equipment such as cuvettes and columns; and even to print out mathematical shapes and functions. Here,…