Syntheses of analogues of historical indigo and Maya blue pigments using an inquiry-based approach are presented. Derivatives of indigo were synthesized (in particular Tyrian purple) and used as vat dyes for dyeing cotton or wool fabrics or mixed with a sepiolite clay to create new hues or colors of Maya blues using a green chemistry hydrothermal…

This article aims to analyze the potential of new technologies in the area of green chemistry didactics. When viewed through the lens of systems thinking, the use of these ubiquitous tools can be a driving force for the development of a sustainable world because of their global use and reach. The authors concentrate on flat e-learning platforms,…

The purpose of this study was to understand if a green chemistry laboratory design facilitated students' transformative experiences in a first-semester general chemistry course for science majors. The study population consisted of 18 college students enrolled in the course at a small, rural, mid-Atlantic university. Traditional chemistry…

The green chemistry course taught at Westminster College (PA) incorporates nontraditional teaching techniques and texts to educate future chemists about the importance of using green chemistry principles. The course is designed to introduce green chemistry concepts and demonstrate their inherent necessity by discussing historical missteps by the…

Secondary science education plays a key role in students' process to become scientifically literate citizens. However, teaching students to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to deal with complex societal issues is challenging. This paper reports about a study in which Scrum -- a methodology to manage complex projects -- was implemented in…

Micellar catalysis has become an important aspect of the chemical industry's effort to "go green". However, this chemistry has yet to be fully explored in educational settings such as second-year organic chemistry laboratories. Reported herein is a discovery-based nucleophilic aromatic substitution experiment that introduces chemistry…

A 3-week module incorporating the principles of green chemistry was developed for a large-enrollment, introductory organic chemistry laboratory course. An emphasis was placed on students planning their own experiments with the goal of obtaining a greener reaction (week 1). Students executed their designed experiments in week 2 and were given an…

An inquiry-based laboratory learning unit was designed to enhance high school students' understanding of the application of lipase as a catalyst to synthesize isoamyl and geranyl ester derivatives as well as to promote their understanding and positive perceptions of green chemistry. The learning unit consisted of three laboratories and a final…

This study shows how students can learn about green and sustainable chemistry by using the knowledge perspective of a local indigenous culture as a starting point. This learning approach encourages students to learn chemistry by connecting culture with learning about green chemistry. The cultural context selects the use of a phytochemical agent…

Green chemistry and sustainable development have become increasingly important topics for the education of future chemists, but the implementation of green chemistry into the chemistry curriculum requires significant efforts from teachers, especially in laboratory education. A student-driven development of a greener synthesis of Lidocaine was…

Rovibrational spectroscopy is a fundamental component of most physical chemistry curricula. This article describes an adaption of the rovibrational spectroscopy of carbon dioxide experiment that can be used as a stand-alone experiment or in conjunction with a traditional hydrogen chloride experiment. The case is made that the laboratory…

Due to a growing awareness of environmental issues, green chemistry concepts are increasingly being incorporated into the undergraduate organic chemistry lecture and laboratory component. This minireview summarizes environmentally friendly organic chemistry experiments suitable for undergraduate laboratories. Whenever feasible, LD[subscript 50]…

A multistep synthesis of a novel arylidene 3­(2"H")-furanone has been designed and optimized for the second-year organic laboratory. The three-step sequence consists of a nucleophilic substitution, intramolecular cyclization, and acid-catalyzed aldol condensation, and can be carried out within two 3 h laboratory periods. The final…

In this laboratory experiment, upper-division undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry majors investigate amide-bond-forming reactions from a green chemistry perspective. Using hydrocinnamic acid and benzylamine as reactants, students perform three types of amide-forming reactions: an acid chloride derivative route; a coupling reagent promoted…

The different ways microscale and green chemistry allow reducing the deleterious impacts of chemistry on human health and the environment are discussed in terms of their different basic paradigms: green chemistry follows the ecologic paradigm and microscale the risk paradigm. A study of the synthesis of 1-bromobutane at macro- ? microscale (109.3…