ERIC Number: EJ1145896
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Jun
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
Graphene Oxide as Mine of Knowledge: Using Graphene Oxide to Teach Undergraduate Students Core Chemistry and Nanotechnology Concepts
Kondratowicz, Izabela; Z?elechowska, Kamila
Journal of Chemical Education, v94 n6 p764-768 Jun 2017
The aim of this laboratory experiment is to utilize graphene oxide (GO) material to introduce undergraduate students to many well-known concepts of general chemistry. GO is a new nanomaterial that has generated worldwide interest and can be easily produced in every well-equipped undergraduate chemical laboratory. An in-depth examination of GO synthesis, as well as a study of its structure and properties, allows students to familiarize themselves with the concepts of redox reactions, dispersity, and polarity, along with the basic concepts of spectroscopic methods. The inclusion of this carbonaceous nanomaterial within a basic chemistry curriculum can stimulate students' interest and introduce them to the modern field of nanotechnology. Students are tasked to prepare GO using the well-known improved Hummers' method. Then they study the dispersion behavior of GO and carry out Fourier transform infrared and UV-vis spectroscopic measurements to characterize the material. The experiments are designed to be accomplished in five 3-h sessions and have been successfully incorporated into the second-year undergraduate course at Gdan´sk University of Technology over a three-year period.
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Teaching Methods, Concept Teaching, Chemistry, Laboratory Experiments, Spectroscopy, Hands on Science, Observational Learning, Foreign Countries
Division of Chemical Education, Inc and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Guides - Classroom - Teacher; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Poland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A