MAKING MATERIALS FROM SCRATCH

hemistry 108—Inorganic Synthesis and Reactions—is not your typical undergraduate laboratory course. Rather than perform standard experiments each week by following a “recipe” from a chemistry “cookbook,” third- and fourth-year chemistry majors learn what it is like to carry out original scientific research. Working in small groups, they design their own projects and experiment in the laboratory to create new materials of their own choosing. According to chemistry professor John Arnold, by the end of the semester “students coming out of this course are ready to walk into a research lab.”

Guided by Arnold in the fall and Professor Richard A. Anderson in the spring, students spend the first part of the semester learning the necessary principles and techniques to be able to synthesize inorganic compounds. They acquire practical skills, such as the use of dry boxes and schlenk lines, and characterize compounds with NMR and other types of spectroscopy. Students get to try their hand at glassblowing and receive substantial safety training, which is necessary due to the hazardous nature of some of the materials they handle.

They also have a chance to refine their research skills outside of the laboratory. Chemistry Librarian Mary Ann Mahoney leads the class in a library tutorial, teaching students how to search the literature and use online databases. There is also a heavy written component: throughout the course the students are required to write six manuscript-quality reports.

After all of this preparation, the students are ready to dive into their own research projects.

They start by studying real research papers and choosing a topic that interests them. Using their chemistry knowledge, the groups of students find ways to build upon the published synthetic methods to create novel materials.

For example, in fall 2004 some of the students worked on the compounds used to make light emitting diodes (LEDs). Found in traffic lights and displays for electronic devices, these compounds have the special property of emitting light when a current passes through them. Students tweaked a process used by previous researchers to produce LEDs that emitted light of different colors.

Other students in the class worked on ferromagnetic fluids—liquids that can be controlled by a magnet. These are basically solutions of magnetic particles suspended in a liquid medium, and when placed near a magnet, they take on the three-dimensional shape of the magnetic field. In some instances, this can cause the liquid to stand up and form spikes along the lines of the field. Their unique properties allow the fluids to be used in applications such as forming airtight seals around rapidly moving parts, moving drugs in the bloodstream, and damping audio speakers.

Both types of materials were chosen because of current interest in their potential applications, and because, according to Arnold, “it allows the students to have the experience of making a compound which is useful.” Neither compound has been studied previously in Chem 108.

“Each year we try to do something new to rejuvenate the course,” continued Arnold. “This year we added a theory component, so students did calculations to understand the structure and bonding of the compounds. We also expanded upon the materials chemistry.”
During the final class period, students present their results in a poster session. The best projects will likely be included in next year’s laboratory manual. Thus the course is always changing, and the material stays fresh and exciting. It is clear that all involved parties enjoyed the experience. The professors welcome the chance to work closely with the students.

“It is one of the few courses in the department where you have a high degree of interaction with the undergraduate students. You get to know them very well,” noted Arnold.

“I think the independent projects are an excellent idea and my favorite thing that I’ve done in four years.”

The students agreed. Kaori Kitano, a fourth-year chemistry major who took the course last fall, liked working in a small group and collaborating with classmates. Another student, Blueray Curtis, added, “I think the independent projects are an excellent idea and my favorite thing that I’ve done in four years. I strongly prefer a course with more independent
projects and fewer assigned labs.”

In fact, the students would have liked to spend even more time experimenting in the lab and perfecting their poster presentations. The graduate research instructor, Stephen Kaye, noticed the students’ enthusiasm and was impressed with their efforts. “They certainly worked really hard,” he remarked.

An ultimate goal for the future is to publish one of the projects in the Journal of Chemical Education, an American Chemical Society journal that keeps educators updated with the latest innovations in research and teaching methods. This hasn’t been tried yet, and would require a student to work beyond the end of the semester. It could be a challenge for upper division students to find time to commit to such a project, but it is hoped someone will tackle it soon.