It has been shown that active learning strategies are effective in teaching complex STEM concepts. In this study, we developed and implemented a laboratory experiment for teaching the concepts of Boolean logic gates, molecular beacon probes, molecular computing, DNA logic gates, microRNA, and molecular diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, which…

In an effort to further develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, a guided-inquiry-based, multioutcome organic chemistry synthesis and characterization experiment was developed. Students were provided with the protocol for a time-saving microwave-assisted acetanilide synthesis reaction from acetic anhydride and an unknown primary aryl…

We describe a guided-inquiry laboratory experiment for instrumental analysis in which our students test an improved protocol for the recycling of silver chloride to produce nontoxic waste. Students are provided with samples of silver chloride that they created as waste products in a previous lab experiment and tasked with performing a stepwise…

There has been dramatic growth in interest and research regarding organic photochromism in recent decades. Despite this, the topic is seldom addressed in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. Herein, we present a straightforward and robust experiment for the second semester organic chemistry laboratory curriculum which combines multistep…

Chemistry of the environment has been a long-standing and important area of scientific research. Atmospheric chemistry is of particular interest in society due to the impact that rising levels of pollutants are having on the climate. It is well-known that combustion processes create CO and NO[subscript x], which leads to the creation of other…

Although teaching laboratories offer students the opportunity to act and think like chemists, in many cases students simply follow written procedures to generate predetermined outcomes. In recent years, there has been a movement toward inquiry-, problem-, and discovery-based learning. In a similar vein, the first-semester introductory organic…

In this study, students' understanding of some important features of competitive elimination and substitution reactions of alcohols was examined based on their participation in a guided inquiry activity of two organic laboratory experiments: the dehydration of cyclohexanol and the conversion of tert-butyl alcohol into tert-butyl chloride. Students…

Project-based learning is widely used in organic laboratories. This goal-oriented and inquiry-based learning model complements student-centered training. Such models focus on complicated issues or real-world problems on the frontier of chemistry. Students progress through three project phases: preproject, during the project, and postproject.…

Mass spectrometry is frequently introduced to undergraduate students as an instrument for both qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis. One of the most common uses of mass spectrometry (MS) is to deduce or confirm a compound's chemical formula, by relying on high-resolution accurate-mass measurements. However, like all forms of instrumental…

Three different experiments that allow the synthesis of the drug paracetamol are described; such experiments were designed for their implementation in undergraduate organic chemistry courses, considering the medical and economic importance of paracetamol. The experience wants to show the students some "real world" applications of organic…

This undergraduate laboratory experiment is designed for first-year general chemistry students with the goal of introducing the brilliant colors and magnetic properties of transition metal complexes within a bioinorganic/cell biology context. In the first laboratory period, a coordination complex formed from ferric chloride and maltol is…

Acid-base titration concepts and experiments are ubiquitous, yet challenging, aspects of the general chemistry curriculum. Most general chemistry courses include at least one acid-base titration laboratory experiment, though the focus is often on determining the concentration, pK[subscript a], or molar mass of an analyte rather than on the details…

Curriculum-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have been shown to increase student retention in STEM fields and are starting to become more widely adopted in chemistry curricula. Here we describe a 10-week CURE that is suitable for a second-semester organic chemistry laboratory course. Students synthesize small molecules and use…

The level of students' engagement during active learning activities conducted in small groups is important to understanding the effectiveness of these activities. The Interactive-Constructive-Active-Passive (ICAP) framework is a way to determine the cognitive engagement of these groups by analyzing the conversations that occur while student groups…

An integrated and inquiry-based experiment on solid state chemistry is applied to an inorganic chemistry lab course to provide insight into the characteristics of the solid phase reaction. In this experiment, students have the opportunity to synthesize long-lasting phosphors with formula xSrO·yAl[subscript 2]O[subscript 3]:Eu[superscript 2+],…