An efficient synthesis of the exorbitantly priced Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome drug amifampridine was developed and applied in the second-semester undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory. The two-step synthesis entails a nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction of commercial 4-chloro-3-nitropyridine with methanolic ammonia to afford…

For decades, chemical modeling sets have allowed the user to manipulate atoms and bonds using plastic/wooden ball and stick materials. Here is a design for an interlocking toy brick modeling set in which the undergraduate nursing student can manipulate electrons during the simulated chemical bonding exercise. The author presents a teaching and…

Hydrogels are soft water-rich materials with physical properties that can be easily tuned by modifying their network structure. For instance, increasing or decreasing the cross-linking density has a profound effect on their water absorption capabilities and mechanical strength. These physical changes are showcased in a new experiment for organic…

The process of diffusion is intimately related to random molecular displacement and is central to many problems in chemistry. Here, we provide an intuitive derivation of the diffusion equation based on the analysis of the random trajectories of particles generated and plotted by simple MATLAB and Python scripts. The codes are very simple and…

The carbonyl group of an aldehyde or ketone reacts with different types of nucleophiles through a nucleophilic addition reaction. When the nucleophile is water, the product obtained is a "gem"-diol or geminal diol. This functionalization is unstable and quickly reverts to the parent carbonyl group. The chemistry of "gem"-diols…

A one-pot multicomponent synthesis of unsymmetrical indole-substituted methane derivative based on two consecutive reactions of p-methylbenzaldehyde with N-methylindole and 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione is described as an experiment that was carried out by second-year undergraduate chemistry students individually in a laboratory classroom. The…

This article showcases the redesign of an introductory undergraduate vertebrate physiology unit at Murdoch University (BMS107) to promote student mastery of six Core Concepts of Physiology (Michael J, Cliff W, McFarland J, Modell H, Wright A, SpringerLink. "The Core Concepts of Physiology: a New Paradigm for Teaching Physiology," 2017).…

We conducted a study with introductory and upper-division physics students in a Mexican university to learn how students independently recognize the electric field's main characteristics in the electric field lines diagram and as a source or target representation in conversion processes. We used the theory of registers of semiotic representations…

We aim to graphically analyze the depth of conceptual understanding behind the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) responses of students, focusing on three questions (questions 1, 15, and 28). In our study, we created and implemented subquestions to clarify and quantify the students' reasoning steps in reaching their responses to the original FCI…

S[subscript N]2 reactions are of fundamental importance in introductory organic chemistry courses, and a number of experiments suitable for the first-semester undergraduate organic lab have been previously reported. Most of these experiments have used alkyl halides as electrophiles, but alkyl halides are often less than ideal for reasons of…

There is emerging recognition that mechanistic reasoning about scientific phenomena as well as developing an interdisciplinary understanding of science are valuable for student success. Our team of chemistry, biology, and teacher education researchers strives to support students in their interdisciplinary learning and engage them in causal…

A laboratory experiment was designed to provide students with an introduction to byproduct valorization by producing an analogue of biodiesel (fatty acid ethyl esters, FAEE) via lipid extraction and subsequent transesterification from spent coffee grounds (SCG). Valorization is the process of upgrading underutilized or discarded wastes or…

This laboratory experiment consists of the synthesis of two series of alkaline-earth titanates (calcium-strontium and strontium-barium)to corroborate Vegard's law by obtaining their X-ray diffraction patterns and plotting the lattice parameter versus mole fraction of both cations. This experiment allows students to understand the key concepts in…

Corrosion of metal, especially iron, is a natural electrochemical process that costs billions of dollars every year. Educating college and precollege students, our future STEM professionals, about the chemistry that governs corrosion and its prevention strategies is of paramount importance. In this manuscript, we share a few simple iron…

A [beta]-lactam, the core structure unit of clinically important antibiotics such as penicillin and cephalosporin, is one of the most commonly encountered four-membered heterocycles in organic chemistry and is widely used in medicine and biochemistry. The Kinugasa reaction, a copper­(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition of a terminal alkyne with a nitrone,…