A comprehensive teaching experiment plan tailored forthird-yearundergraduates has been developed. Initially, instructors synthesize(E)-2-(4-((4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-3-methylphenyl)­diazenyl)­phenoxy)-ethan-1-ol­(M-Azo-2)monomer as part of the preclass preparation. Subsequently, studentsperform an acylation reaction experiment to prepare an…

Multistep synthesis is a key capstone experience in organic laboratory instruction. Here, a four-step synthesis of avobenzone, an active component in sunscreens, has been developed that can be completed in two 4 h laboratory periods. This synthesis incorporates green principles and includes an aldol condensation, electrophilic addition of bromine…

As part of their third-year general chemistry program, students at the University of the Côte d'Azur are taught the basics of radioactivity. The view that third-year university students have of the periodic Table of the Elements is often reduced because it ignores the vast majority of isotopes. As part of this program, a practicum devoted to the…

The use of radioactive isotopes in radioactive decay studies can be a problem due to the manipulation of radioisotopes, expensive equipment, and the difficulty of finding samples with a reasonable half-life (between 1 and 10 min). In this paper, we present a mock-up of a Geiger-Mu¨ller counter plus three fictitious radioisotopes. They form an…

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…

This paper reports the development and application of a low-cost multifunctional webcam spectrophotometer for the conduct of molecular absorption and fluorometric measurements. The equipment, which costs approximately US$20 to be fabricated, consists of a webcam, a diffraction grating, and a slit, all positioned inside an MDF box. Spectral…

Radiochemistry faces a well-documented training and recruitment crisis. Older radiochemists are retiring, and fewer young people are studying radiochemistry. In turn, this is leading to a shortage in newly qualified radiochemists, as well as a loss of historical knowledge (as know-how is often not passed-on). Here, we analyzed the relevance of the…

In this paper, we present simple demonstrations aimed at explaining the fundamental principles of the photoacoustic effect. To display the audible phenomenon that occurs as laser radiation gets absorbed by ethene gas, an optical chopper was used to modulate the power of a continuous-wave laser whose beam was directed into a gas. The absorbed…

Nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry is a branch of chemistry that has high experimental risks, has high research costs, and is subject to certain prejudices. However, it has an extremely important influence on the development of human life. It is particularly important to emphasize the general education of nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry…

With the advancements in broad-spectrum sunscreens and the recent bans on benzene-based sunscreens due to their environmental toxicity, there has been a push toward broad-spectrum sunscreens containing in organic active ingredients. In this study, a procedure was developed to analyze the particle size and size distribution of inorganic active…

A microwave-promoted synthesis of a carbocyclic curcuminoid has been developed for the undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory curriculum. The experiment features several teaching points: A novel Knoevenagel iminium-mediated condensation forms a highly conjugated, intensely colored natural product. Reaction occurs uniquely at the less acidic…

As introductory chemistry courses expose students to many distinctive properties of matter, it is helpful to systematically evaluate and relate different measures such as mass, moles, and molarity, or specific heat capacity and heat capacity. Intensive and extensive designations help distinguish intrinsic and component properties of a system and…

Communicating the flow of genetic information (DNA ? RNA ? protein) is not only a basis of biochemical education, but also is the essential foundation for understanding the complexity of biological processes. The described laboratory exercise demonstrates that the information encoded into different DNA sequences can be transformed into various…

A low-cost time-resolved emission spectrometer optimized for ruby emission is presented. The use of a Class II diode laser module as the excitation source reduces costs and hazards. The design presented here can facilitate the inclusion of time-resolved emission spectroscopy with laser excitation sources in the undergraduate laboratory curriculum.…

Most didactic lab experiments deal with the influence of temperature, concentration, pressure, surface area, and catalysts on chemical kinetics; however, few of them explore the influence of light radiation and the presence of inhibitor agents on reaction rates. In order to investigate the effects of the radiation source and the presence of…