Scientists have always been fascinated by transient far-from-equilibrium systems. Since the (early) 1970s, there have been literature reports on the implementation of didactic experiments as a tool for attracting and stimulating students' and general public interest. In this work, a group of 12 high school students, supported by their chemistry…

The advantage of VLs lies in their capacity for simulating real-world lab experiences within a fully immersive digital environment, yet the uptake in rural schools in developing countries remains low. To understand this paradox, this study explores the perceptions of seven secondary school science teachers in a rural district in South Africa.…

The Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) melting assay intends to evaluate the unfolding, denaturation process of DNA secondary structures, and its stabilization using compounds known as DNA binders, some of which are highly specific for G-quadruplex DNAs versus duplex DNAs. First, students determined the melting temperature (T[subscript m])…

The practical two-step synthesis of 1-phenylthiourea is reported here as an undergraduate experiment for the organic synthesis laboratory. The reactions involved in 1-phenylthiourea preparation are very useful didactic examples to illustrate concepts relating to carbonyl substitution and addition, the effect of pH on solubility of organic…

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…

Surface chemistry impacts technology, advancing the development of new heterogeneous catalysts, semiconductor devices, and materials synthesis. Carbon surfaces are ubiquitous in various fields, and the surface reactivity can be altered by surface functionalization on the molecular scale, introducing functional groups, thus shifting their…

A fast, operationally simple, and reproducible synthetic protocol for anthraquinone dyes (AQDs), suitable for upper-division undergraduate industrial and organic chemistry laboratory courses, has been developed. This experiment is composed of three stages; the first step deals with the synthesis of AQDs, followed by a purification step, and…

A novel undergraduate analytical chemistry experiment involving the identification and quantification of linalool in essential oils was developed. The experiment uses the internal standard method with headspace solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography--mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This method is applicable to any linalool-containing…

An integrated laboratory experiment was designed for introducing biochemistry students to basic static biochemistry to deepen their understanding on the properties and analysis of biomolecules such as total carbohydrates, lipid, protein, and protein-constituent amino acids. Food represents a very important source of biomolecules of technological…

In this study, we derived several formulas for the currents induced in a circular loop by a magnet connected to a spring-based simple harmonic oscillation system. In addition, we conducted an experiment for measuring the induced currents and compared the results with the theoretical prediction. It was confirmed that the prediction from the derived…

An introductory normal phase column chromatography experiment is described and evaluated for second year undergraduate chemistry laboratory class. The experiment involves a nucleophilic substitution yielding a crude mixture of reactant and one product, both of which are brightly colored and contrasting, creating a clearly visual separation when…

This project introduces green chemistry to the undergraduate laboratory through two pedagogical techniques: undergraduate research and guided-inquiry. Through these two learning activities, an efficient synthetic procedure for the PRINS cyclization of citronellal into isopulegol, focused on minimizing negative environmental impact, was developed.…

A drug discovery project has been successfully implemented in an advanced undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory. In the laboratory, a five-step synthetic sequence is used to prepare five analogues of 13-phenyl-1-tridecanol. These compounds are key precursors in the synthesis of 2-oxo-14-phenyltetradecanes. This class of compounds, isolated…

This paper examines the findings obtained in a chemistry laboratory course provided through online hands-on activities during the pandemic. Case study design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. The data collection period was 8 weeks. The study was carried out with 16 third-year pre-service science teachers within the scope of a…

A community-engaged learning experiment was developed for an introductory analytical chemistry course at the University of Toronto Scarborough in collaboration with Campus Farm. The experiment introduced students to the application of analytical techniques to studying environmental samples. More specifically, students investigated the potential of…