Infrared (IR) thermography renders invisible infrared radiation with intuitive coloration in images and videos taken of objects, reactions, and processes. Educators can take advantage of this technology to extend students' sensory perception of chemical reactions or processes that absorb or release heat in rich detail. In theory, IR thermography…

Synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials yields opportunities for instruction of related topics in solution chemistry and materials science, as well as spectroscopy connecting to band theory, the "particle in a box" quantum mechanical model, and thermodynamics. In collaboration with an undergraduate research assistant, we have…

The effect of surfactant adsorption on surface tension, as well as associated thermodynamic concepts are introduced in a laboratory experiment designed for undergraduate students. Using a reliable and accessible method, students measure the surface tension of aqueous solutions at different concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Students collect…

Bioinorganic topics are ubiquitous in the inorganic chemistry curriculum; however, experiments to enhance understanding of related topics are scarce. In this proposed laboratory, upper undergraduate students assess the biological interaction of molybdenocene dichloride (Cp2MoCl2) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) by fluorescence spectroscopy.…

Artificial photosynthesis (AP) is a synthetic chemical process that replicates natural photosynthesis to mass produce hydrogen as a clean fuel from sunlight-driven water splitting (2H[subscript 2]O [right arrow] O[subscript 2] + H[subscript 2]). In both natural and artificial photosynthesis, an oxygen-evolving catalyst (OEC) is needed to catalyze…

This advanced undergraduate laboratory experiment involves the synthesis and characterization of a metal-organic framework with microporous channels that are held intact via hydrogen bonding of the coordinated water molecules. The hydrothermal synthesis of Co[subscript 3](BTC)[subscript 2]·12H[subscript 2]O (BTC = 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylic acid)…

A traditional organic chemistry laboratory experiment involves the acid-catalyzed isomerization of (-)-menthone to (+)-isomenthone. This experiment generates large quantities of organic and aqueous waste, and only allows the final ratio of isomers to be determined. A "green" modification has been developed that replaces the mineral acid…

The glass electrode is the most commonly used device to access the pH of an aqueous solution. It attains highly accurate measurements via simple and well-established procedures. However, the reasons why the glass electrode potential scales with hydrogen ion concentration according to almost Nernstian potential values have been long-standing…

The thermodynamic properties of weak acid ionization reactions are determined. The thermodynamic properties are corresponding values of the absolute temperature (T), the weak acid equilibrium constant (K[subscript a]), the enthalpy of ionization (delta[subscript i]H[degrees]), and the entropy of ionization (delta[subscript i]S[degrees]). The…

An experiment is described that determines the activation energy (E[subscript a]) of the iodide-catalyzed decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide in a much more efficient manner than previously reported in the literature. Hydrogen peroxide, spontaneously or with a catalyst, decomposes to oxygen and water. Because the decomposition reaction is…

Computational chemistry is commonly addressed in the quantum mechanics course of undergraduate physical chemistry curricula. Since quantum mechanics traditionally follows the thermodynamics course, there is a lack of curricula relating computational chemistry to thermodynamics. A method integrating molecular modeling software into a semester long…

Part I: Students' participation in inquiry-based chemistry laboratory curricula, and, in particular, engagement with key thinking processes in conjunction with these experiences, is linked with success at the difficult task of "transfer"--applying their knowledge in new contexts to solve unfamiliar types of problems. We investigate…

A set of exercises for use in a typical physical chemistry laboratory course are described, modeling the unimolecular dissociation of the ethyl radical to form ethylene and atomic hydrogen. Students analyze the computational results both qualitatively and quantitatively. Qualitative structural changes are compared to approximate predicted values…

An upper-division undergraduate chemistry experiment is described which utilizes DigiSim software to simulate cyclic voltammetry (CV). Four mechanisms were studied: a reversible electron transfer with no subsequent or proceeding chemical reactions, a reversible electron transfer followed by a reversible chemical reaction, a reversible chemical…

The modulation of ligand p"K"[subscript a] due to its surrounding environment is a crucial feature that controls many biological phenomena. For example, the shift in the p"K"[subscript a] of substrates or catalytic residues at enzyme active sites upon substrate binding often triggers and controls enzymatic reactions. In this work, we developed an…