We describe a guided-inquiry laboratory experiment for instrumental analysis in which our students test an improved protocol for the recycling of silver chloride to produce nontoxic waste. Students are provided with samples of silver chloride that they created as waste products in a previous lab experiment and tasked with performing a stepwise…

The correct use of micropipettes has been investigated in an undergraduate, introductory lab experiment intended for chemistry and biology majors. This lab experiment involves the use of micropipettes for accurately mixing, transferring, and applying a specific amount of dye to a cotton bandana. The data resulting from this experiment is a color…

Across the United Kingdom Higher Education system, the percentage of white students attaining a first or upper second-class degree exceeds the that of Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) students. This is known as the BAME degree awarding gap. Awarding gaps are also seen at the module level. The BAME module awarding gap is defined as the difference…

Academic institutions are faced with the complex problem of accurately determining the hazards associated with a proposed or ongoing project. For many reasons, compressed gas safety can be a significant challenge at universities, especially those that involve research using many uncommon materials. This article is a call to action for implementing…

A multistep synthesis of quinolone antibiotic analogues was developed as a laboratory experiment for intermediate/advanced undergraduate students. Students can synthesize a range of "des"fluoroenoxacin analogues via a five-step sequence. The experiment includes a range of key practical laboratory techniques including thin-layer…

Electrochemistry is broad and interdisciplinary by nature and as such has become a powerful tool in science, technology, engineering, math, and medical (STEMM) fields ranging from energy storage to biotechnology. However, traditional undergraduate chemistry education does not offer students the opportunity to create direct connections between…

An undergraduate laboratory experiment for the synthesis of biologically significant bis-4-hydroxycoumarins using a new catalyst is described here. An experimental setup plan, monitoring the reaction by TLC, isolation of the product, safe laboratory handling procedures, and significance of data reproducibility of the result are the main learning…

Capillary electrophoresis is a powerful separation tool with a wide range of analytes for diverse applications and is compatible with various detection methods. While some more established separation techniques like gas or liquid chromatography are utilized heavily in analytical chemistry laboratory courses, newer commercial capillary…

The calcium hydroxide solubility product constant ("K"[subscript sp]) lab is a familiar lab experiment outlined in the "Advanced Chemistry with Vernier" handbook. In an on-campus laboratory setting, students are afforded the opportunity to examine techniques, such as titration of a saturated base solution (Ca­(OH)[subscript 2])…

A Quantitative Analysis Lab class was developed that began with 9 weeks of student preparation for the Quant Escape Game (QEG) where the students learned the fundamentals of quantitative analysis. The preparation was followed by the four-week QEG, an active-learning, cooperative-learning, and problem-based learning experience in which the students…

[superscript 1]H NMR spectroscopy is a molecular characterization technique that is ubiquitously used in research and teaching laboratories alike. Strategic deuteration of molecules is a commonly employed technique in the deconvolution of [superscript 1]H NMR signals. Here this approach is applied in a second-year chemistry course in which…

This paper describes an undergraduate biochemistry laboratory module consisting of a set of experiments designed around a purification scheme for bovine serum albumin (BSA). Students purify BSA from cow plasma by a combination of salt and acetone precipitation, equilibrium dialysis, ion exchange, and size exclusion chromatography. Students use the…

A functionalized fiber (PAN[subscript ADMAP]F) was synthesized by immobilizing "N,N'"-dimethyl-"N"-(4-pyridinyl)-1,3-propanediamine (ADMAP, a DMAP analogue) onto the surface of polyacrylonitrile fibers (PANF). The structure and morphology of the functionalized fibers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared…

Optimization of experimental conditions in chromatography is recognized as a wear-and-tear process involving hundreds of experiments in order to maximize the number of separated compounds for each sample. The critical thinking skills and practices entailed cannot be achieved with students in a conventional lecture class. This report provides a…

Students in advanced undergraduate chemistry laboratories are required to undertake a wide range of complex and multistep syntheses and analytical procedures, and prospective employers of chemistry graduates seek students with proven skills in these areas. Our approach has been to use video resources which are made available to students both ahead…