Lateral flow assays play a key role in mass testing for COVID-19, for example, in schools. The red color of the detection lines is caused by gold nanoparticles that are conjugated to antibodies. Hence, these tests present a very topical learning opportunity in the emerging field of nanoscience. To highlight the role of gold nanoparticles, a…

An integrated laboratory experience using metal--organic frameworks (MOFs), a nanoporous and crystalline extended solid material composed of metal cations and organic linkers, was developed and adopted for upper-division, major-level chemistry and biochemistry students. In this laboratory, students were guided through the facile solvothermal…

Three different experiments that allow the synthesis of the drug paracetamol are described; such experiments were designed for their implementation in undergraduate organic chemistry courses, considering the medical and economic importance of paracetamol. The experience wants to show the students some "real world" applications of organic…

A new undergraduate organic laboratory experiment has been developed and implemented for the Ugi three-component synthesis of the topical anesthetic lidocaine with excellent atom economy. Paraformaldehyde, diethylamine, and 2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide were combined and conveniently stirred at room temperature for a week in methanol with acetic…

Undergraduate research experience is critical to success in postgraduate research settings. The recent movement away from "cookbook" style laboratories to course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in undergraduate laboratories has allowed universities to provide inclusive research experience while bypassing the limitations…

Mercury beating heart (MBH) is a well-known demonstration of redox processes. However, the development and application of the MBH system are significantly restricted due to its safety issues. Here, a direct current electric field-enabled gallium-based liquid metal heartbeat in a salt solution or alkaline solution is introduced as a demonstration…

Undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory courses act as a baseline for introductory scientific experimentation. These courses provide students with the knowledge and skills for their future careers. The traditional lab is conducted by providing a structured protocol of the experiment for the students to follow and reproduce the assigned task…

Fieldwork is a meaningful and authentic learning experience that is rarely included in undergraduate chemistry courses. In this laboratory, we visited a hot spot of perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) contamination identified in 2012, in Binbrook, Ontario, Canada, a 1 h drive from the University of Toronto. The persistence and unique environmental…

Highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of research, we present a series of experiments for undergraduate lab courses that teach the principles of preparative ion exchange chromatography and flame emission spectroscopy. Through these inquiry-based experiments, the students learn about experimental design and instrument limitations, naturally…

This undergraduate laboratory experiment is designed for first-year general chemistry students with the goal of introducing the brilliant colors and magnetic properties of transition metal complexes within a bioinorganic/cell biology context. In the first laboratory period, a coordination complex formed from ferric chloride and maltol is…

A new undergraduate organic laboratory experiment has been developed for amide bond formation between biorenewable 2-furoic acid and either of two substituted piperazines to prepare medicinally relevant amide products using a procedure with industrial significance. The reactions proceeded smoothly under ambient conditions using the combination of…

As quantum information science and technology (QIST) is becoming more prevalent and occurring not only in research labs but also in industry, many educators are considering how best to incorporate learning about quantum mechanics into various levels of education. Although much of the focus has been on quantum concepts in nonlab courses, current…

This article first put forward the educational application of immersive virtual laboratories for the problems of poor spatial thinking ability and weak hands-on operation ability. Second, aiming at the problems of a lack of excellent backbone teachers and insufficient educational information equipment, a Tibetan-Chinese bilingual immersion virtual…

During the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, both schools and universities faced significant challenges in moving teaching from an in-situ setting to a remote one, this included laboratory experiments. This paper presents an experiment developed to use a phone's in built pressure sensor, common to most smart phones. By using this sensor…

We present an integrative mixed-methods systematic review of research on laboratory work in secondary-school science education from 1996 to 2019. The aim of the study is to identify important aspects of how to successfully make use of laboratory work as a science-teaching strategy in secondary schools. By engaging teachers, our study uses a…