Ultraviolet (UV)-visible (Vis) spectroscopy is widely used in all modern laboratories as a routine method of analysis. The monitoring of chemical reactions in an aqueous solution involving a gas product is a demanding task but particularly for oscillatory reactions which are obtainable in a narrow concentration range. In this work, the…

A key part of the practice of chemistry is the analysis of chemical composition, including through gravimetric analysis and spectrophotometry. However, the complexity of doing multiple calculations to obtain analytical evidence, such as that required to determine an empirical formula, presents a challenge if such analytical methods are to be…

Techniques and instrumentation that involve fluorescence are used in many careers related to biology and biochemistry. However, due to the expense of instrumentation, the theory and practice of fluorescence spectroscopy is commonly concentrated in instrumental analysis in most curricula, a class rarely required for biology and biochemistry majors.…

A continuous flow photopinacol coupling of benzophenone has been developed and implemented in the undergraduate laboratory. This photoreduction was accomplished using 2-propanol as an H atom donor and cosolvent in the reaction. The simple and inexpensive UV light source and flow reactor design (less than $350/photochemical flow system) provide an…

A dual-function student-crafted instrument is described as part of a laboratory activity aimed to teach both the principles and practical aspects of absorption spectroscopy to secondary and introductory undergraduate students. Using minimal changes in an arrangement that is based on interlocking bricks and low-cost components, both a fluorometer…

In order to introduce students to the fascinating field of femtochemistry, we propose here a practical laboratory training course conceived for second-year master's students in chemistry. We describe the use of a broadband femtosecond transient absorption (pump-probe) experiment for monitoring a fast light-triggered chemical reaction in solution.…

A simple computer interface for controlling a compact spectrograph for use as a spectrophotometer in an undergraduate teaching laboratory was developed. The project was implemented on a Raspberry Pi computer which permits the integration of a light source into the software. The interface was written in Python to facilitate modification by the user…

Inorganic phosphors are the main component of light emitting diodes which have caused the revolution in lighting industry as an energy-efficient and long-lasting replacement of traditional incandescent light bulbs and fluorescent tubes. They are also used in various consumer products and displays and can potentially find applications in…

Quantum dots (QDs) are useful for demonstrating the particle-in-a-box (PIB) model utilized in quantum chemistry, and can readily be applied to a discussion of both thermodynamics and kinetics in an undergraduate laboratory setting. Modifications of existing synthetic procedures were used to create QDs of different sizes and compositions (CdS…

One challenge of teaching chemical analysis is the proliferation of sophisticated, but often impenetrable, instrumentation in the modern laboratory. Complex instruments, and the software that runs them, distance students from the physical and chemical processes that generate the analytical signal. A solution to this challenge is the introduction…

The lifetimes of the photoluminescent compounds contained in the coating of fluorescent compact lamps are usually measured using specialised instruments, including pulsed lasers and/or spectrofluorometers. Here we discuss how some low cost apparatuses, based on the use of either sensors for the educational lab or commercial digital photo cameras,…

Semiconductors are an important class of materials; preparing ZnO nanorods allows semiconducting properties to be easily observed. The week before lab, groups of four students take 15 min to setup two fluorine-doped tin oxide glass (FTO) slides in a zinc nitrate and hexamethylenetetramine solution stored at 90°C until the next lab. Hexagonal ZnO…

A highly simplified variation on the do-it-yourself spectrophotometer using a smartphone's light sensor as a detector and an app to calculate and display absorbance values was constructed and tested. This simple version requires no need for electronic components or postmeasurement spectral analysis. Calibration graphs constructed from two…

A laboratory experiment visually exploring two opposite basic principles of fluorescence of aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) is demonstrated. The students would prepared two salicylaldehyde-based Schiff bases through a simple one-pot condensation reaction of one equiv of 1,2-diamine with 2 equiv of…

The activity of mushroom tyrosinase can be measured by monitoring the conversion of phenolic compounds into quinone derivatives using spectrophotometry. This article describes a series of experiments which characterize the functional properties of tyrosinase, the analysis of the resulting data using R to determine the kinetic parameters, and the…