ERIC Number: EJ1145844
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Jun
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
Controlled Synthesis of Nanomaterials at the Undergraduate Laboratory: Cu(OH)[subscript 2] and CuO Nanowires
da Silva, Anderson G. M.; Rodrigues, Thenner S.; Parussulo, AndreĀ“ L. A.; Candido, Eduardo G.; Geonmonond, Rafael S.; Brito, Hermi F.; Toma, Henrique E.; Camargo, Pedro H. C.
Journal of Chemical Education, v94 n6 p743-750 Jun 2017
Undergraduate-level laboratory experiments that involve the synthesis of nanomaterials with well-defined/controlled shapes are very attractive under the umbrella of nanotechnology education. Herein we describe a low-cost and facile experiment for the synthesis of Cu(OH)[subscript 2] and CuO nanowires comprising three main parts: (i) synthesis of Cu(OH)[subscript 2] nanowires by a precipitation approach followed by a calcination step that converts Cu(OH)[subscript 2] to CuO; (ii) use of Cu(OH)[subscript 2] and CuO nanowires as model systems to explore a variety of characterization techniques relevant in the context of solid-state chemistry, materials chemistry, and nanoscience; and (iii) presentation/discussion of the data. Other learning objectives include probing of chemical transformations at the nanoscale and the use of concepts borrowed from coordination chemistry to understand the formation mechanism of Cu(OH)[subscript 2] and CuO nanowires from a Cu[superscript 2+](aq) precursor. This experiment can be performed with a relatively simple laboratory infrastructure and with instrumentation that is generally widely available. Moreover, students are able to integrate multidisciplinary concepts in a single activity and become introduced to/familiarized with a currently active research field (nanoscience) and its associated literature.
Descriptors: Science Laboratories, Laboratory Experiments, Chemistry, Undergraduate Students, Science Experiments, College Science, Science Instruction, Interdisciplinary Approach, 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; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Brazil
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A