Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment Research Articles

Aqueous and Solid Phase Synthesis of [Ni(Me3en)(acac)]BPh4 and its Solvatochromic Properties: A Laboratory Experiment for First-Year Undergraduates

Aqueous and Solid Phase Synthesis of [Ni(Me₃en)(acac)]BPh₄ and its Solvatochromic Properties: A Laboratory Experiment for First-Year Undergraduates

Voltage decay in an RLC circuit is not what is taught: An advanced laboratory exercise

At first glance, a simple model of an RLC circuit taught in undergraduate courses provides a reasonable fit to experimental data. However, careful analysis demonstrates that this model does not accurately describe the behavior of the oscillations in this circuit and requires further refinement. Measuring and analyzing data from this system provides an opportunity for advanced lab students to engage in hypothesis construction, modeling, and experimental design as they seek to explain the discrepancy between these data and a model. The learning outcomes of this activity are consistent with the AAPT guidelines on the undergraduate laboratory experience. Furthermore, such experimentation allows students to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the real world.

Deactivation of the Ce/TiO2 Catalyst by POx for Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO with NH3: An Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment

Deactivation of the Ce/TiO₂ Catalyst by POx for Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO with NH₃: An Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment

Atmospheric solids analysis probe mass spectrometry: An easy bolt-on for the synthetic undergraduate teaching laboratory.

High costs and student numbers can often hinder implementation of mass spectrometry (MS) in the undergraduate teaching laboratory, often with technicians running samples on students' behalf, and the implementation of MS only in discrete or isolated experiments. This study explores the use of atmospheric solids analysis probe MS (ASAP-MS) as a relatively low-cost, benchtop instrument, and its potential for application as a 'bolt-on' to existing undergraduate organic chemistry experiments. Thirteen products synthesised in undergraduate laboratory experiments were analysed by ASAP-MS, along with their starting materials. Analysis was carried out with a Waters RADIAN ASAP mass spectrometer, at four different cone voltages simultaneously to provide fragmentation information. Out of the 13 undergraduate experiments, ASAP-MS was shown to be complementary in 11 of these, either through simple analysis of the precursor ion or by a more complex analysis of the fragments. ASAP-MS provided spectra that both complement and enhance intended learning outcomes in existing organic chemistry experiments, showing its versatility as a bolt-on technique. Moving forward, ASAP-MS will be integrated into the University of Surrey's undergraduate teaching laboratory.

Developing a faculty support program for fostering enriching undergraduate laboratory experiences under limited resource conditions.

Meaningful pedagogical reform requires good faculty training and support programs. Such support is particularly valuable when colleges and universities are trying to bring research and inquiry into the laboratory curricula under resource-limited conditions. In this situation, it may help to extend the scope of the faculty support program to include training for practicing experimental techniques, sustainable networking opportunities, and a space to learn about pedagogical reforms. From this perspective, we share our experience about building a faculty development program for public college teachers who teach undergraduate biology in India. Though we designed the program for low-resource settings, the experiments curated could very well represent core biological concepts typically identified by the international community. The activities and overall design of the program can be useful for initiating pedagogical reform in any college/university where the traditional approach to biology laboratory instruction predominates, and high-end research is not easy to access.

Synthesis and Catalytic Performance of Cu-CeO2 Nanoparticles and the Application in Cr(VI) Detection: Third-Year Undergraduate Comprehensive Laboratory Experiment

Synthesis and Catalytic Performance of Cu-CeO₂ Nanoparticles and the Application in Cr(VI) Detection: Third-Year Undergraduate Comprehensive Laboratory Experiment

Development of Wearable Chemical Sensors: An Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment Facilitating Knowledge and Expertise Integration

Development of Wearable Chemical Sensors: An Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment Facilitating Knowledge and Expertise Integration

Making exciton physics easy and affordable

We present a facile and low-cost undergraduate laboratory experiment to study exciton physics. Using a simple abrasion technique to create samples of thin-film van der Waals material samples and a low-cost spectrometer, we show that prominent excitonic features can be easily resolved in the optical transmission spectra of semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides at ambient conditions. Our method brings interesting semiconductor quasiparticle physics to low-budget departments, hoping to expand their undergraduate laboratory curriculum.

Design and Exploration of Iron Salt-Catalyzed Synthesis of Chromene[2,3-b] Indoles as a Laboratory Experiment for Undergraduates

Design and Exploration of Iron Salt-Catalyzed Synthesis of Chromene[2,3-<i>b</i>] Indoles as a Laboratory Experiment for Undergraduates

Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry as a Powerful Tool for Spatially Resolved Analysis: An Experiment for Undergraduate Analytical Chemistry Laboratory

Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry as a Powerful Tool for Spatially Resolved Analysis: An Experiment for Undergraduate Analytical Chemistry Laboratory

Preparing GQDs/NiAl-LDH Composites and Investigating the Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction Performance: An Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment

The chemical experiment is designed for undergraduates majoring in chemistry, energy, and environment. The intended purpose is that the students will comprehend the reaction mechanism of photocatalytic reduction of CO2 through hands-on experiments and deepen their understanding of sustainable energy technologies. More importantly, the experiment can make students strengthen the understanding of basic theory of photochemistry and become familiar with the operation process of laboratory instruments, such as a photocatalytic reactor and gas chromatograph. The novel graphene quantum dots/NiAl layered double hydroxide (GQDs/NiAl-LDH) composites are prepared by undergraduates, and the photocatalytic activity is investigated through a series of characterizations and tests. Then the reaction mechanism analysis is carried out in the form of group discussion after the experiment. The student’s grade in the laboratory experiment depends on the experimental operation, catalyst synthesis, photocatalytic activity, and mechanism analysis. It is promising that students can organically combine chemistry knowledge with experimental operation through this experiment, so as to encourage them to continue the research related to photocatalytic CO2 reduction.

A tabletop experiment for speed of light measurement using a Red Pitaya STEMlab board

The speed of light is an important fundamental constant in physics, and so determining its value is a common undergraduate laboratory experiment. Methods to measure the light speed can help students practice their experimental skills and become familiar with the concepts of modern precision measurement techniques. In this paper, we demonstrate that a tabletop optical setup, comprised of an affordable Red Pitaya STEMlab board and a low-cost laser diode module, can be used to accurately determine the speed of light by measuring the frequency response of the phase shift between intensity-modulated light beams reflected by two end mirrors separated by 50 cm. By using the STEMlab built-in Bode analyzer to automatically scan the modulation frequency over the range from 10 to 40 MHz, the frequency response of phase is measured and recorded. These phase shift data are then used to calculate the speed of light with an uncertainty of less than 0.5%. With the help of the Red Pitaya board, the number of required electronic instruments for our setup is reduced. All of the required components are commercially available, and no electronic construction work is necessary so that teachers and students can implement the experiment in a plug-and-play manner.

Heisenberg uncertainty principle: an advanced undergraduate laboratory experiment based on quantum quadrature operators

The Heisenberg uncertainty principle (HUP) plays an important role in quantum mechanics. It is necessary to demonstrate this principle experimentally for undergraduates to understand HUP clearly. In this paper, we originally employ the quantum quadrature operators to demonstrate HUP in undergraduate laboratories. Starting from the quantization of electromagnetic field, we briefly review the definition of quadrature operators and demonstrate HUP via the variances of quadrature operators. And the scheme of HUP demonstration with homodyne detection is introduced. More importantly, we develop a tabletop experimental apparatus for the demonstration of HUP in undergraduate laboratories. Our proposal focuses on the basic quantum mechanics concepts, experimental principles, and instruction as well as experimental techniques. It provides a way to help undergraduates, especially the ones who will go on graduate study in quantum technology in the future, make connections between abstract quantum mechanics concepts and concrete experiments, which makes the concepts better understood.

Adsorption of a PFAS Utilizing MOF-808: Development of an Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment in a Capstone Course

Adsorption of a PFAS Utilizing MOF-808: Development of an Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment in a Capstone Course

Rotational modes of a double conical pendulum

Theoretical and experimental results are presented for a double conical pendulum rotated at the top end in a circular path of radius r 0. The rotation modes are different from those with r 0 = 0 and depend on whether the two pendulum masses rotate in or out of phase with the upper end and with each other. The results extend those already described in the physics teaching literature for a single conical pendulum, would be suitable as a lecture demonstration or an undergraduate laboratory experiment, and are closely analogous to those for a chain that is rotated at its upper end.

A Day in the Life: Characterization of Doctoral Bench Research in Synthetic Chemistry Using Phenomenological Case Studies.

Despite decades of reform efforts, STEM education continues to face calls for improvement, especially regarding the teaching laboratory. Establishing an empirical understanding of the types of hands-on, psychomotor skills that students need to learn to succeed in downstream careers could help ensure laboratory courses are promoting authentic learning. Therefore, this paper reports phenomenological grounded theory case studies characterizing the nature of benchwork in synthetic organic chemistry graduate research. Through first-person video data and retrospective interviews, the results illustrate how organic chemistry students use psychomotor skills to conduct doctoral research and where they acquired those skills. By understanding the role that psychomotor skills play in authentic benchwork and the role that teaching laboratories play in the development of those skills, chemical educators could revolutionize undergraduate laboratory experiences by enabling evidence-based incorporation of the psychomotor component into laboratory learning objectives.

Magnetization of Yeast by Labeling with Iron Complexes: An Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment

Magnetization of Yeast by Labeling with Iron Complexes: An Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment

Facile Amide Bond Formation with TCFH-NMI in an Organic Laboratory Course.

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 N,N,N',N'-tetramethylchloroformamidinium hexafluorophosphate (TCFH) and N-methylimidazole (NMI) in a minimal volume of acetonitrile with a direct crystallization upon addition of water. Students successfully collected their product by filtration and then characterized it by NMR (1H, 13C, COSY, DEPT-135, HSQC), IR, MS, and melting point. Students also explored the reaction mechanism and compared green chemistry aspects of their procedure with literature routes. A virtual version of the experiment was adapted for remote instruction.

Application of Machine Learning (ML); a tool for teaching and future research in undergraduate chemistry laboratory experiment 'Extent of miscibility of the Phenol-Water system'

Application of Machine Learning (ML); a tool for teaching and future research in undergraduate chemistry laboratory experiment 'Extent of miscibility of the Phenol-Water system'

Exploring Electrosynthesis: Bulk Electrolysis and Cyclic Voltammetry Analysis of the Shono Oxidation.

As electrochemistry continues to gain broader acceptance and use within the organic chemistry community, it is important that advanced undergraduate students are exposed to fundamental and practical knowledge of electrochemical applications for chemical synthesis. Herein, we describe the development of an undergraduate laboratory experience that introduces synthetic and analytical electrochemistry concepts to an advanced organic chemistry class. Experiments focus on the electrooxidative α-functionalization of carbamates, more generally known as the Shono oxidation, and include cyclic voltammetry analysis of two cyclic carbamates and a constant current bulk electrolysis reaction. The exercise offers students an authentic experience in organic electrochemistry, lays a practical and theoretical foundation for future engagement with concepts in electrochemistry and redox chemistry, and strengthens fundamental organic chemistry skills.