Quantum dots are colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals that display size-dependent electronic and optical properties. These materials are a visual demonstration of a quantum-mechanical effect. Here we present a laboratory exercise for undergraduate/Bachelor students as an introduction to colloidal nanocrystals and quantum dots. The students…

In an upper-division interdisciplinary laboratory experiment, students use Raman spectroscopy to highlight how the overall structure and conformational order of lipid bilayers can be influenced by their individual phospholipid composition. Students prepare a supported lipid bilayer, as a model cell membrane, by spreading liposomes made of various…

Cycloadditions in combination with multicomponent reactions are among the most valuable synthetic tools used by organic chemists to construct cyclic and heterocyclic compounds in a straightforward way. Although cycloadditions, such as the Diels--Alder reaction, are mainly covered in basic and advanced organic courses for undergraduate students,…

Organic chemistry students often struggle with reaction mechanisms, particularly in how they are proposed and justified. In this activity targeting second year organic undergraduates, students used infrared spectroscopy (IR) to track the reaction progress of two distinct aldol reactions and used polarimetry to analyze the stereoselectivity of…

An experiment for the undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory is described in which the Raman spectrum of liquid "para"-difluorobenzene is recorded and assigned. A density functional theory (DFT) calculation of the 30 normal modes of the molecule is undertaken using computational chemistry software. Students use group theory to…

Millions of people do not have access to clean drinking water; thus, cost-efficient water treatment systems are vital. Chemists, environmentalists, technicians, and engineers will be the professionals making breakthroughs in this industry. This laboratory experiment aims to introduce undergraduate students to the removal of pollutants from water…

Electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical techniques are very important for characterizing energy materials. In the search for new sources of renewable energy, water splitting for hydrogen production and CO[subscript 2] reduction is attracting significant attention. These applications require efficient and durable catalysts and a detailed…

Introductory physics laboratory experiments have typically been employed to reinforce classroom instruction instead of teaching students experimental design. Recent research has shown that lab experiments that focus on experimental practices are more effective at teaching students physics concepts. The experiment described in this paper has been…

The bromination of six isomeric alcohols is adapted to a discovery-based organic chemistry laboratory experiment, whereby students are provided an alcohol starting material and are charged with determining the product or product mixture produced using relevant spectroscopic data. The experiment solidifies NMR analysis skills while reinforcing the…

Iodonium zwitterions are hypervalent iodine compounds in which the iodine center binds to two substituents and carries a positive formal charge which is compensated by a negative charge within the same molecule. Under thermodynamic conditions, iodonium zwitterion sallow concerted nucleophilic aromatic substitutions to be performed, followed by…

This paper introduces hands-on curricular modules integrated with research in atmospheric ice nucleation, which is an important phenomenon potentially influencing global climate change. The primary goal of this work is to promote meaningful laboratory exercises to enhance the competence of students in the fields of science, technology,…

The identification of coloring substances is a relevant task in the field of conservation and restoration, but it can be challenging as in real samples the target analytes are inserted in a very complex matrix made of binders and additives. Understanding this concept is fundamental for upper-division undergraduate students interested in…

Polymerization reaction media can have a profound effect on the physical properties of the resultant polymer. This phenomenon is showcased in a new experiment for the organic chemistry and polymer science teaching laboratories wherein the radical copolymerization of biobased [beta]-myrcene and dibutyl itaconate is performed using a nonhazardous…

This experiment combines analytical techniques of solid-phase extraction (SPE) and gas chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-QTOF-MS) to determine organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in river water as a means to develop and improve student understanding of the use of GC-QTOF-MS for qualitative and quantitative analysis. In…

In this guided-inquiry lesson, students were tasked with determining the efficacy of an at-home drinking water filter at removing lead (Pb) from tap water using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy by determining the concentration of lead before and after filtration. The lesson was structured to allow students to choose and perform…