The catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes and alkynes is an important part of the undergraduate chemistry curriculum and is a fundamental process in chemical industry. Inquiry-based laboratory activities are presented that investigate the hydrogenation of alkynes on a nanoparticle palladium surface to form alkenes, which go on to form alkanes. Alkyne…

Thermal conductivity is generally the tool of choice for quantification of fixed gases, particularly lighter-than-air gases. Unfortunately, gas chromatography-thermal conductivity detectors (GC-TCDs) are difficult to introduce in first- and second-year chemistry courses where the cost and number of instruments, as well as the space required, is…

Biodiesel is an important biomass, largely employed in the transport sector and produced from vegetable oils. Additionally, waste cooking oils may be reused to produce biodiesel fuel, minimizing environmental pollution. A laboratory experiment that affords a widespread way to discuss degradation concepts and tools for used vegetable oil…

When injecting dye into a vortex, one finds that the dye remains captured around the vortex core over minutes, despite the fact that the vortex (and the dyed region) is strongly time-dependent. According to a recent theory, three-dimensional time-dependent vortices should be defined as rotating, material-holding regions of the fluid. Vortices…

A continuous flow photopinacol coupling of benzophenone has been developed and implemented in the undergraduate laboratory. This photoreduction was accomplished using 2-propanol as an H atom donor and cosolvent in the reaction. The simple and inexpensive UV light source and flow reactor design (less than $350/photochemical flow system) provide an…

An undergraduate organic chemistry experiment has been developed that features asymmetric synthesis of an enantioenriched secondary alcohol, followed by determination of its absolute configuration using the competing enantioselective conversion (CEC) method. Students are given a ketone and an unknown enantiomer of CBS (Corey-Bakshi-Shibata)…

Physics experiments powered by a universal serial bus (USB) connection are becoming increasingly common. With teachers going through so many batteries each year, USB-powered physics provides an economical and environmentally friendly alternative. In this article, the authors discuss several ways that USB power can provide a convenient way to do…

Enzymes are widely applied in different industries, like pharmaceutical, food, biofuel, and waste valorization. However, the enzyme operating conditions are very limited. So, in most industrial processes, enzymes are not efficient, due to the use of harsh conditions, like organic solvents, extreme pH, and temperature. Immobilization arises as a…

In science learning, the experiment is an essential activity to facilitate students to discover and develop knowledge as well as to enhance scientific process skills and self-confidence. This study aims to create a simple experimental apparatus related to the principle of fluid continuity that can be made and conducted by the teacher and student…

Polymerization reaction media can have a profound effect on the physical properties of the resultant polymer. This phenomenon is showcased in a new experiment for the organic chemistry and polymer science teaching laboratories wherein the radical copolymerization of biobased [beta]-myrcene and dibutyl itaconate is performed using a nonhazardous…

An undergraduate-level Computational Chemistry project was incorporated initially into a Physical Chemistry course and then into the laboratory curriculum in the subsequent application. Before the introduction of the project, the lectures covered quantum chemistry, spectroscopy, and kinetics while simultaneously including computational chemistry…

After the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increasing demand for remote learning and an expansion in the substitution of traditional practical sessions with lab-based virtual tools. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of virtual labs in practicing biochemical experiments and to examine the student's feedback regarding this tool. Virtual…

The COVID-19 pandemic has constituted a sudden educational transformation around the world. It has disrupted instructors, including physics educators, forcing them to adjust to remote teaching. The hands-on laboratory, one of the components of physics instruction, has also had to rapidly go online in all branches of this science, including nuclear…

Hands-on experiences in analytical chemistry laboratories are essential to improve students' technical skills on handling analytical glassware and instruments, but the coronavirus pandemic in 2020-2021 disrupted such learning activities. Thus, alternative remote activities are required to supplement practical skills. In this work, a new portable…

Quantum technology is an emerging field of physics and engineering and important applications are expected in quantum computing, quantum sensing, quantum cryptography, quantum simulation, and quantum metrology. Thus the need for education in this field is increasing, while still remaining challenging. While the need for basic education in quantum…