Abstract
This study proposes a lab experiment consisting of three consecutive steps designed to expose undergraduate students to the fundamental aspects of nanoscience. Two different procedures for the reduction of silver ions were provided: The first resulted in a precipitate, and in the second reaction a colored suspension of silver nanoparticles was obtained. Next, the students explored the aggregation process of silver nanoparticles by converting one solution to the other, which produced interesting color changes. The present discussion centers on the role of this lab activity as a visual means to introduce students to basic concepts related to nanomaterials: metal nanoparticles, colloidal suspension, colloid stability, surface plasmon resonance of metal nanoparticles, zeta potential, electric double layers, and the aggregation process. The experiments were carried out by a group of second-year college students majoring in chemistry.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 4037-4045 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of Chemical Education |
| Volume | 98 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 14 Dec 2021 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2021 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
Funding
The author is indebted to The Academic Arab College for Education for financial assistance. She also thanks the students who took part in the lab sessions during the chemistry laboratory course.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Academic Arab College for Education |
Keywords
- Aqueous Solution Chemistry
- Colloids
- Hands-On Learning/Manipulatives
- Interdisciplinary/Multidisciplinary
- Laboratory Instruction
- Nanotechnology
- Oxidation/Reduction
- Second-Year Undergraduate
- Solid State Chemistry
- UV-Vis Spectroscopy