In 2002, the Swedish National Food Agency and researchers from Stockholm University made an announcement regarding the presence of acrylamide in carbohydrate-rich foods that are exposed to high temperatures, with cereals, potatoes, and coffee possibly being the most significant sources of ingestion. Although limited data are available on assessing…

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous materials that are often crystalline with high surface area and structural tunability. In this laboratory experiment designed for inorganic chemistry students at the undergraduate level, students complete a two-step experiment where they will first (i) synthesize two isostructural…

The substitution of carbonyl compounds with liquid bromine as a brominating agent is the most commonly employed synthesis method for a-bromoacetophenone and its derivatives. However, liquid bromine possesses certain drawbacks, such as volatilization, high toxicity, strong corrosion, and poor reaction selectivity, which limit its application and…

The lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) is a simple and cost-effective rapid diagnostic test designed for the on-site detection of disease biomarkers. In the context of introducing this technique to undergraduate biotechnology students, we propose a comprehensive 5 h laboratory experiment. This experiment covers various aspects, including the…

Triterpenic acids (TA), a class of triterpenoids, are widely distributed as secondary metabolites in plants. They have a pentacyclic structure and show high structural diversity. In this work, a simple but efficient method for extraction and detection of TA derivatives from apple peels is described. The method is technically straightforward and…

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance ([superscript 1]H NMR) spectroscopy is an essential characterization tool for organic chemists widely taught in the undergraduate chemistry curricula. Previous work has focused on how students advance from novice to expert in interpreting [superscript 1]H NMR spectra. However, we need to know more about how…

Simple mathematical models can serve to reveal the essence of experimental phenomena and scientific concepts. The particle in a box (PIB), for example, is widely used in undergraduate programs to teach the quantum mechanical principles behind the UV--vis spectra of conjugated polyenes and polyynes. In this work, the particle on a ring (POR) and…

The use of approximations in solving problems in sciences can be vital for students. Order of magnitude estimation also helps with physical understanding of the quantities involved in a calculation. For example, in the first exam in a first-year class in chemistry the student must find the mass in grams of an atom; a couple of students will…

Retention of students' attention in general chemistry courses stands as one of the main challenges that educators are facing in classes of any size and is especially prevalent with classes composed of mixed majors. Herein, we describe our experience with introducing short, 10 min student lectures ("flash talks") on popular chemistry…

Teaching through experiments has always been an indispensable teaching method in chemistry and other STEM disciplines. Letting more students have access to experiments at the frontier of scientific research is essential to stimulating students' interest in chemistry. With the advancement of computer technology, virtual simulation experiments…

Metacognition is an important skill for undergraduate chemistry students, but there has been scant research investigating chemistry instructors' perspectives of metacognition and the development of their students' metacognition. Since undergraduate instructors have a wide influence over what happens in their courses, it is crucial to investigate…

The process of method development is at the heart of analytical chemistry, yet direct experimental experience with the process is rarely taught in the undergraduate laboratory. We report here an experiment that uses rapid, safe, and inexpensive paper-based microfluidics with cell phone detection in order to facilitate the development of a…

Computational chemistry instructional activities are often based around students running chemical simulations via a graphical user interface (GUI). GUI-based activities offer many advantages, as they enable students to run chemical simulations with a few mouse clicks. Although these activities are excellent for introducing students to the…

This study's general theme revolves around practical work in chemical education, and its scope is the employment of a novel inquiry strategy combined with a new openness level. We investigate how the controlled positive error, a new device for inquiry activities developed by us, affects undergraduate students' experience of an experiment and…

A set of inexpensive and pedagogically rich experiments focusing on S[subscript N]1, E1, and E2 reactions have been updated to include modern computational and spectroscopic analyses. The S[subscript N]1 experiment involves treatment of "tert"-amyl alcohol with hydrochloric acid to generate the corresponding alkyl chloride, which is used…