Urgent action is needed across the world to combat climate change and its impact on the social, economic, and environmental well-being of humans and the planet. This important topic is one that is a priority for integration into chemistry classrooms, laboratories, and outreach efforts. It connects strongly to foundational chemistry concepts and…

The implementation of a laboratory exercise in an undergraduate chemistry course, where students perform a comparison of three different synthetic methods toward [Cu(Cl)(IPr)]-complexes (IPr = N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene), is described. The students are introduced to the continuous improvement of reactions in terms of green…

Plastic recycling has gained increasing attention due to the negative impacts of improper plastic waste management and its end-of-life outcomes. Despite growing research and educational efforts on sustainability, the integration of community service into student learning experiences remains limited. To address this gap and promote sustainable…

Microplastics have been found in the most remote locations on Earth as well as in where we live, work, and play. Despite increasing research focus on microplastics, efforts to inform the public about their omnipresence have lagged. To bridge this gap between research and public knowledge, we developed a museum exhibit with interactive and…

The analysis of functional groups in organic compounds and inorganic ions in salts is a laboratory experiment that forms an inevitable part of the undergraduate chemistry curriculum in the science field all over the world. With this experiment, the student learns the testing techniques for the chemicals and gets a true sense of the importance of…

Students determine the iron mass in dietary supplements using four colorimetric assays. These colorimetric assays were selective for Fe[superscript 3+]. It was complexed by thiocyanide, salicylate, gallic acid, and Fe(CN)[subscript 6][superscript 4-], forming blood-red, red, violet, and blue complexes, respectively. The [lambda][subscript max] of…

Plastic waste is a growing concern in recent years due to the massive increase in single-use plastic applications. Despite the ever-increasing amount of waste, recycling plastics is not a simple process due to difficulties in sorting, which results in significantly downgraded material properties. This hands-on lab experiment showcases the…

A science, technology, society, and environmental (STSE) impact assignment framework was developed that bridges the gap between analytical chemistry education and broader societal and environmental contexts. Over the course of [approximately]8 weeks, students were provided with the opportunity to engage in a self-directed learning opportunity to…

Metal-air battery technology is a promising new energy storage solution in the green energy economy but also an excellent tool to educate students on the working principles of batteries. A simple yet powerful construction of a metal-air battery is shown, which consists of a plastic mint box, a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte. Furthermore,…

Designing safer chemicals is an integral part of green chemistry that supports good health and well-being. The teaching of molecule design through relevant courses has important implications for the education of sustainable chemists. In these courses, training in toxicology and hazard assessment is essential for students to study benign chemical…

With the increase of waste paper, environmental pollution and atmospheric impact have become global problems. The cellulose contained in waste paper has the advantages of being renewable and biodegradable and can be applied to many fields to achieve sustainable development. At present, thermal management materials, as a new type of material, have…

Sewage sludge valorization in agricultural fields is in many countries a circular economy strategy to handle the disposal issues of this complex residue. Many countries regulate the content of heavy metals and other agrochemical parameters in sewage sludge, establishing threshold limits for its application in agricultural fields. This requires the…

Teaching green chemistry within the K-12 classroom has a positive impact on attitudes and perceptions of chemistry in society for future scientists and professionals, resulting in safer, less hazardous chemistry experiments and demonstrations. The state of New York has taken advantage of the benefits that green chemistry provide in the classroom…

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.…

In recent years, solar-powered photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production has drawn great attention as a method to supply clean energy and reduce environmental pollution. This approach, driven by solar energy to synthesize hydrogen gas, is completely renewable and can be used to power hydrogen fuel cells to effectively solve the global…