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The main purpose of this study is to determine the effect of using a new type of mnemonic device, utilizing dance steps in teaching Chemistry 7 in the retention rate of students on the properties of metals and non-metals. Different dance mnemonics corresponding to each property of the two types of elements were developed by the researcher. It was then utilized in teaching. The respondents of the study were the 91 grade 7 students of the two classes of the researcher in Science 7 during the first quarter of the S.Y. 2019-2020. Z-test was the statistical treatment used to compare the results of sample-experimental group to that of the population it was taken from. After utilizing the set of dance mnemonics developed corresponding to different properties of metals and non-metals, the samples performed better on the post-test compared to the population which means that using dance steps as mnemonic device increased the retention rate of grade 7 students. This study was limited only in the effect of using dance steps as a mnemonic device to increase the retention rate of grade 7 students in the properties of metals and non-metals.

In this article, we first (re)trace the presence and absence of mining, metals and extractionary practices, what we call MMEs, from environmental and sustainability curricular frameworks United Nations' Act Now Framework. Then, we critique the swelling markets, mentalities, and mastermindings used to develop and produce "clean" and "renewable" energy sources/solutions. As one of many examples, there is increasing skepticism among Indigenous communities that history may repeat itself as the quest for "clean" results in further displacement and violations of tribal sovereignty (Healy & Baker, 2021; Holzman & Waldman, 2022; Shah & Bloomer, 2018). Notwithstanding our (e.g., authors) academic positionalities in social studies education, one of our conclusions considers the necessity of interdisciplinary collaboration between science and social studies on the issue of sustainability through MMEs.

The chemistry of 4d and 4f metals was investigated at the undergraduate level in an effort to incorporate f-element chemistry in the curriculum. This was accomplished through microwave-assisted synthesis of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) coordination compounds [Eu(phen)(subscript 3)](PF[subscript 6])[subscript 3] and [Ru(phen)(subscript 3)](PF[subscript 6])[subscript 2], and embedding the coordination compounds in polystyrene (PS) beads. Through a combination of 1-D/2-D spectroscopic techniques, the metal-phen coordination compounds in solution and in the solid state were probed. It was validated that the strong interaction between the phen ligand and Ru[superscript 2+] is due to the diffuse nature of the 4d orbitals. The interaction resulted in a low energy MLCT band, which provides opportunities for excitation at lower energies using 4d metals. In contrast, the phen ligand and core Eu[superscript 3+] 4f orbitals exhibited a weak interaction. This was supported by variable-temperature NMR (VT-NMR) measurements, which revealed relatively well-separated proton resonances with minimal differences in chemical shifts for the phen ligand at 25°C and the [Eu(phen)(subscript 3)](PF[subscript 6])[subscript 3] compound at -42°C, indicating a weak Eu-N interaction. The weak interaction resulted in the formation of an aqua-containing complex in solution evidenced by emission lifetime measurements. Despite the weak interaction, selective excitation (via ligand [pi]-[pi]* versus direct f-f) of the Eu[superscript 3+] compound allowed for color tuning, leading to the generation of a cool white light. Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) of the metal-embedded PS beads indicated relatively monodispersed distribution of the metal complexes in the polymer.

A model kit consisting of magnetic rods and steel balls, which is generally sold as a desktop toy, has been utilized to construct physical models for teaching packing arrangements of metallic crystal. All four basic metallic crystal structure models are easily constructed layer by layer, and corresponding unit cells can be naturally derived from the packing structures. The low-cost models based on magnetic rods and steel balls are portable and easy-to-construct, and teaching practice shows that they can guide students to gain a deeper understanding of packing arrangements of metallic crystal. Positive feedback from students indicates that they are interested in constructing models with the rods and balls by themselves. Overall, compared with the existing crystal structure models, these models combine the characteristics of portability, low cost, and ease of construction; therefore, they have great potential to enhance students' learning of metallic crystal structures through hands-on activities or classroom demonstrations.

A [beta]-lactam, the core structure unit of clinically important antibiotics such as penicillin and cephalosporin, is one of the most commonly encountered four-membered heterocycles in organic chemistry and is widely used in medicine and biochemistry. The Kinugasa reaction, a copper­(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition of a terminal alkyne with a nitrone, is a straightforward and atom economic approach to 2,3-disubstituted [beta]-lactams. This paper describes a comprehensive chemistry experiment involving the Kinugasa reaction in an advanced undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory course. Undergraduate students perform the Kinugasa reaction on the benchtop and isolate and characterize the [beta]-lactam product. An understanding of this named reaction and the connection of organic chemistry with medicinal chemistry are specially emphasized in the class. Several modern chemistry concepts that are missing from traditional organic courses such as [beta]-lactam chemistry, [3 +2] cycloaddition, atom economy, and the important role of transition metal catalysis in organic reactions are introduced to students in this course.

An activity is described that uses simple materials and an easy-to-perform protocol to estimate the Curie temperature of nickel, which is the temperature at which nickel loses its ferromagnetism. To do so, an object made of nickel metal is heated with a lighter until it loses its ferromagnetism. The metal is allowed to drop into a beaker that contains a known amount of water at a known temperature. Thermodynamic analysis of the exchange of energy between the metal, water, and beaker allows for an estimate of the Curie temperature of nickel. The activity provides students with the opportunity to explore concepts commonly found in introductory and general chemistry curricula, including thermodynamics and electronic configurations of the elements.

A particular status of the English language as the language of international communication and connections between the nearly related English and German languages resulted in the emergence of many interlingual borrowings in the Modern English and German language vocabularies. The paper aims to consider the functioning of borrowings (loanwords) in the English and German languages. To reach the aim of the research and to carry out the tasks assigned, the following methods were used: a descriptive method, the method of correlation, componential analysis and, comparative semantic analysis. The paper focuses on linguistic and extralinguistic factors of the German and English interaction. Special attention is paid to clarifying the notion of borrowing in modern linguistic science. The word-formative calques and half-calques (hybrids), which differ from ordinary lexical borrowings by using partially borrowed lexical material, are identified in addition to direct lexical borrowings in the language subsystem under study. The paper demonstrates the significant influence of English borrowings on the structural-semantic qualities of German words, on various semantic changes, as well as on the participation of loanwords in the lexico-semantic variation: synonymy, polysemy, homonymy, and antonymy. The results of the research can also be used in the teaching and learning of both languages, in the course of lexicology or linguistics.

The ability to communicate scientific concepts to expert and nonexpert audiences is an essential skill for chemistry and STEM students. Current chemistry curricula mainly focus on developing skills to communicate technical information to expert audiences, while relaying the same information to general audiences receives much less attention. Although numerous initiatives work to close this gap, many have logistical or financial barriers that make them difficult to integrate in a large classroom setting. Herein, we present an assignment focused on improving advanced students' (i.e., graduate and advanced undergraduate students) ability to communicate current organometallic chemistry research (i.e., technical information) to a general audience using infographics. Our assignment features a unique, iterative feedback model incorporating instructor, peer, and near-peer (general audience) groups to provide students with multiple opportunities to refine their communication skills. Anonymous student self-assessments of advanced undergraduate/graduate students (infographic creators and peer reviewers) and first year, non-major undergraduate students (near-peer reviewers and general audience) indicate that the assignment led to (i) increased confidence in communication skills (advanced undergraduate/graduate students), (ii) a broadened understanding of advanced chemistry in everyday life (both), and (iii) increased recognition for the importance of scientific communication to different audiences (both). Reflections on student outcomes as well as recommendations and considerations for instructors are discussed.

The relationship between surface area and dynamics of processes can be demonstrated by adding iron at room temperature to liquid nitrogen. The rate at which the liquid nitrogen boils to produce gas is related to the surface area of the iron. Adding iron in the form of consistent units that have measurable sizes can be readily connected to observable differences in rates of nitrogen gas production. For example, samples of smaller iron spheres with their greater surface area transfer heat more quickly than do larger spheres of the same volume to liquid nitrogen causing it to boil faster, but more briefly, and produce larger plumes of nitrogen gas from a container vent. The plumes are essentially comprised of nitrogen and water, which make them potentially safer than plumes from other demonstrations such as the "genie in a bottle", based on hydrogen peroxide decomposition. These simple activities can be used as stand-alone demonstrations or as the basis of laboratory activities.

This laboratory exercise integrates chemistry and biology concepts to give third/fourth-year undergraduate students an opportunity to apply knowledge from different subject areas to address a real-world biomedical issue such as pathogen inhibition using composite materials. It involves the preparation of a bacteria-derived cellulosic biopolymer through microbial cultivation, impregnation of the bacterial cellulose(BC) with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), followed by the analysis of the materials and the antimicrobial properties of the biomaterial-AgNPs composites. The methods are relatively simple and use inexpensive chemicals. A Tollens type approach is adopted to produce silver nanoparticles-bacterial cellulose (AgNPs-BC) composites by the reduction of [Ag­(NH[subscript 3])[subscript 2]]+ complex embedded in the cellulose matrix. The samples were dried by two different methods: freeze-drying or vacuum-drying. The dried AgNPs-BC films were evaluated for antimicrobial properties against a test organism, in this example, "Pseudomonas aeruginosa", a Gram-negative biosafety containment level 2 (BSL 2) bacterium, using an agar diffusion test. For additional flexibility and customization, options for dividing the chemistry/biology content of this laboratory into smaller units with an emphasis on characterization techniques of nanomaterials for chemistry majors are also discussed.

This manuscript describes a laboratory exercise that allows students to use conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) for the analysis of electrodeposited, metallic structures. In addition to nanoscale electrical characterization with CAFM, this laboratory exercise also provides students with an opportunity to explore nanofabrication by electrodepositing metallic structures in the channels of a patterned, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) template. The goals of this experiment include characterization of electrodeposited structures with atomic force microscopy (AFM), assessing the conductivity of the electrodeposited structures by acquiring conductivity images, and determining the method of electrical conduction using current-voltage ("I-V") curves collected with CAFM.

The chemistry of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has the potential to introduce high school and undergraduate students to the fundamental chemical principles of structure and bonding, enhance the development of skills in synthesis and crystal growth, and promote hands-on experience with gas capture and host-guest chemistry of emerging materials with desirable environmental applications. However, most available experiments in the pedagogical literature involving MOFs require laboratory equipment and the use of hazardous chemicals to facilitate crystal growth and the study of structure-property relationships. To remedy this gap in the literature, this paper describes an adapted experimental approach designed specifically for a household environment or low-resource laboratory to grow, activate, and use cyclodextrin-based MOFs for CO[subscript 2] uptake. This experiment implements a simple procedure that can be carried out safely without access to specialized equipment or laboratory infrastructure. Despite the simplicity of the experimental design, this experiment presents an intellectually engaging opportunity for high school and undergraduate students to explore crystal growth and nucleation, coordination chemistry, and host-guest chemistry as well as green chemistry concepts such as the choice of benign reagents and solvents, and applications of porous materials for gas uptake.

Corrosion of metal, especially iron, is a natural electrochemical process that costs billions of dollars every year. Educating college and precollege students, our future STEM professionals, about the chemistry that governs corrosion and its prevention strategies is of paramount importance. In this manuscript, we share a few simple iron corrosion-related activities developed into a demonstration video that helped celebrate the 2021 National Chemistry Week and was used to accompany general chemistry lectures on electrochemistry. These easy-to-setup activities with clear and dramatic effects effectively demonstrated concepts of equilibria including Le Chatelier's principle, buffers, oxidation and reduction potentials, and factors such as metal coupling, salinity, pH, and temperature that impact rusting and its inhibition. These demonstration activities, with an emphasis on maritime applications, may also be adapted for precollege science camps or chemistry laboratories.

Reactions between metal carbonates from d[superscript 5] to d[superscript 10] systems and glutamic acid are used to obtain molecular metal complexes and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). When the ligand is an amino acid, these MOFs belong to the BioMOF class (metal-organic frameworks for biological and medical applications). The metal carbonates of the d[superscript 5], d[superscript 6], and d[superscript 8] systems produce molecular complexes with general formulas [M(GluH)[subscript 2](H[subscript 2]O)[subscript 2]], whereas those of the d[superscript 7], d[superscript 9], and d[superscript 10] systems produce compounds of the type [M(Glu)(H[subscript 2]O)·H[subscript 2]O][subscript n]. Through these syntheses one can explore, among others, concepts largely related to coordination chemistry such as crystal field splitting, weak and strong fields, the chelate effect, coordination number, metal-ligand stability series, Jahn-Teller distortion, acidity and basicity concepts, and crystal structure. In addition, these experiments also provide an opportunity to discuss interaction stability between metal ions with carbonate and hydroxide anions expressed by physical-chemical parameters such as absolute hardness and natural indices for chemical softness, as well as by the respective Pourbaix diagrams.

The rapid growth of personal electronics has promoted a surge of e-waste worldwide. Among the e-waste stream, waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) contain a lot of recyclable valuable metals that can incentivize the recycling operation when recovered. This pedagogical exercise demonstrates a simple electrocatalytic metal recovery strategy that works at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Students can complete the exercise within 1.5-2 h and get to learn about electrocatalytic reactions and their parameters. The reaction can be powered by a couple of 1.5 V AA batteries and an electrolyte chemically similar to automobile antifreeze. Using quotidian objects can help students connect their laboratory learning with their daily lives. In addition to teaching electrochemistry concepts, we hope this exercise can raise awareness of the substantial increase of e-waste in recent years.

Silver and its compounds have been widely used in experimental teaching, industrial production, and other fields. In these processes, a large amount of wastewater containing silver is usually produced, which might contribute to environmental pollution. Therefore, recycling silver from wastewater not only has good economic value but also meets the requirements of sustainable development, which is also a hot topic emerging in chemical teaching. In this demonstration, polyaniline is used to efficiently recover silver ions from simulated wastewater. Through the regulation of time, temperature, and the morphology of polyaniline particles, a series of silver with rich morphology is obtained, showing the beauty of chemistry and arousing students' interest in chemistry. This demonstration can cultivate audiences awareness of resource recycling and environmental protection and guide them to enjoy the fun of chemistry.

Laboratory research experiences can be an important part of the training process for STEM professionals, but barriers exist that can prevent broad access to these opportunities. Virtual Research Group (VRG) modules, which use data curated from the scientific literature to simulate aspects of the research process, provide a scalable alternative to traditional in-lab research experiences. Here we describe the general concept of VRG modules and the implementation of a VRG module focused on block copolymers in both a high school outreach program and an undergraduate materials science course. Through qualitative and quantitative data analysis of student postsurvey responses, we demonstrate that VRG modules effectively simulate many of the attributes of traditional research experiences. We also compare student experiences when VRG modules are offered in three different formats: (i) competitive in-person, (ii) competitive virtual, and (iii) collaborative virtual. Finally, we demonstrate that VRGs can be applied to topics other than block copolymers through implementation of a VRG module on bulk metallic glass.

Metal-air battery technology is a promising new energy storage solution in the green energy economy but also an excellent tool to educate students on the working principles of batteries. A simple yet powerful construction of a metal-air battery is shown, which consists of a plastic mint box, a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte. Furthermore, two different battery constructions are shown, which are suitable for shorter and longer time scales, respectively. Different variables impacting the performance of constructed batteries such as its design and electrolyte composition are demonstrated. The performance figures and efficiencies of assembled aluminum-air, zinc-air, and magnesium-air batteries are compared. Diluted electrolyte is proposed for higher safety.

Auxiliary Tanabe-Sugano diagrams are presented. They enable a rapid and reliable graphical derivation of Dq/B and C/B crystal field parameter ratios from spectroscopic data. Using these values, one can calculate Dq and B by employing the original Tanabe-Sugano diagrams. Subsequently, C can also be calculated irrespective of the value C/B fixed in the Tanabe-Sugano diagram.

Minerals and metals are part of everyday existence, including in the air people breathe. They are either in, or have a hand in creating, nearly all of consumer products. As essential as they are, minerals and metals are too often unseen, unappreciated, and unnoticed. In the teaching of preservice primary and secondary teachers as well as high school students, the authors have found that while students might understand the relationship between burning coal and air pollution and may have learned about gold and diamond mining in history courses, they have little understanding about the extraction of minerals and metals that fuel their lives. The authors believe that lessons framed around the motivations, harms, and consequences of mining, in particular metals and minerals, are critical in fostering a heightened attunement to the precarious state of the environment and the role product consumption plays in its ongoing deterioration. Upon completion of the lessons in this article, students will have a heightened awareness of the role mining and minerals play in the creation of everyday objects and will begin to theorize possible alternative framings to renewable energy.

This paper discusses the significance of model-based teaching on the topic of ionic and metallic bonding in Year 12 Chemistry in a New Zealand secondary school. Based on the conceptualization of the sub-macro level understanding of the bonding structure and properties of ionic and metallic compounds, models and drawings were used as an effective visual aid tool to support students' learning. Based on performances during four sequential classes and the results obtained from a pre-test and post-test, a vast improvement was seen in students' understanding of the concepts of ionic and metallic bonding. The results in the post-test also show that the concept of ionic bonding was easier to grasp compared to metallic bonding. This is attributed to the misconceptions developed by the students while learning metallic bonding without the use of visual strategies. This paper argues that teaching Chemistry concepts, such as metallic and ionic bonding, without the use of visual strategies results in students' inability to clearly grasp the topic. The research demonstrates that models and drawings have many advantages while teaching such abstract concepts in Year 12 Chemistry. The students in this research were non-native speakers of English, therefore, this may have further impacted upon their inability to grasp the concepts when taught without concrete visual strategies.

This undergraduate laboratory experiment is designed for first-year general chemistry students with the goal of introducing the brilliant colors and magnetic properties of transition metal complexes within a bioinorganic/cell biology context. In the first laboratory period, a coordination complex formed from ferric chloride and maltol is prepared(Fe­(maltol)[subscript 3]). The intense red color of the complex is noted, and the UV-vis spectra of the ligand and complex are compared. Yeast cells are incubated with ferric chloride and with Fe­(maltol)[subscript 3]. In the second laboratory period, the yeast cells treated with the ferric chloride or Fe­(maltol)[subscript 3] are isolated and placed over ring magnets to study whether the yeast have paramagnetic properties. Yeast viability studies are done to compare the toxicity of Fe­(maltol)[subscript 3] and FeCl[subscript 3]. Students are asked to predict the magnetic properties of iron complexes of different spin and oxidation states and to consider the basis for iron uptake into yeast cells.

Metals enable numerous physiological processes ranging from respiration to nitrogen fixation. However, the role of metals in biology and biocatalysis is not appreciated by the general public. This lack of knowledge around biological metals can lead to misinformation, especially regarding vaccines and health products. Here, we present a series of easy-to-implement experiments and demonstrations that can be incorporated in the high school curriculum to introduce students to the role of metals in biology. Our results from running these experiments/demonstrations in virtual (N = 6-10) and in-person (N = 22; N = 9-12) formats reveal that only 9-30% of high school students are aware of the presence of metals in humans. These statistics can be changed to 48-100% by incorporating proposed experiments and content in the curriculum.

A slightly modified version of Lotka's mechanism that gives rise to sustained oscillations is shown to mimic observations of electrochemical oscillations reported during the dissolution of iron from iron electrodes in acidic media. The presentation of the modified mechanism includes only familiar chemical species and, in comparison to other mechanisms of chemical oscillators, is analyzed in a simple manner. Therefore, this new mechanism is particularly well-suited to present to students during introductory discussions on the topic of oscillating chemical reactions.

A straightforward procedure for the synthesis of (Ph[subscript 3]P)[subscript 3]CuCF[subscript 3], a robust, air-stable trifluoromethylating agent, is reported herein. This preparation can be completed in a single 3 h laboratory session and typically provides ample yields (~79--86%) and high purity (>90%). The target complex is characterized by students primarily using heteronuclear ([superscript 19]F, [superscript 31]P) NMR methods. A 30 min application experiment, using this product, has also been developed in which students are able to trifluoromethylate an aryl iodide on an NMR scale and monitor their reaction progress using [superscript 19]F NMR.

Food safety science is an important field due to its practical applications in maintaining public safety and confidence in consumer goods. A significant component of food safety science is the detection and regulation of heavy metals in food. Heavy metals such as mercury (Hg) are of particular concern because of their potential to damage the nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, and other organ systems in humans and other organisms. The stringent standards and practices for the analysis of Hg in fish, as implemented by institutions such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), require both skilled analytical chemists and sensitive quantitative techniques, e.g., inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). These needs inspired the development of an upper-division undergraduate analytical chemistry experiment that is designed to teach students how to quantify mercury in commercial fish products via ICP-MS analysis. In this hands-on laboratory exercise, students were taught how to use a standard reference material (SRM) for method validation and to understand how different matrices can affect the accuracy of the analysis. Students also learned how to optimize ICP-MS instrument parameters such as the kinetic energy discrimination (KED) voltage. Students worked in small groups and across lab sections to analyze their data and to identify the best parameter set for their experimental conditions. This lab exercise provides a rigorous, practical, and challenging experience for aspiring analytical chemists and can be readily adapted to the needs and interests of any institution with access to an ICP-MS instrument.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many higher education institutions to offer their courses online, which is quite challenging when implementing laboratory sessions. Here we describe a web-based teaching resource consisting of a metallographic atlas with more than 200 micrographs corresponding to pure metals, binary alloys, steels, cast irons, and light alloys. The atlas is designed for majors and graduate level students in materials science disciplines, and it focuses on the interpretation of optical micrographs. The web page metrics, the impact on academic scores, and the results of an anonymous and voluntary survey indicate a very positive response to this online teaching resource material.

Mercury beating heart (MBH) is a well-known demonstration of redox processes. However, the development and application of the MBH system are significantly restricted due to its safety issues. Here, a direct current electric field-enabled gallium-based liquid metal heartbeat in a salt solution or alkaline solution is introduced as a demonstration appropriate for undergraduate general chemistry. The former oscillation occurs on the cathode, the latter on the anode. The objective is to achieve a visually appealing effect in the classroom and motivate students to understand the underlying concepts. Students are encouraged to assemble the instrument and perform the demonstration under supervision. Apart from the gallium-based liquid metal and a helping-hand stand, the demonstration utilizes common laboratory apparatus, and the materials for the solutions can be obtained in an undergraduate general chemistry laboratory.

We describe a remote pedagogical approach based on chemical thinking to study metal-carbonyl complexes by analyzing simulated IR spectra. The proposed approach, implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, can be employed in classrooms that have very limited laboratory equipment for evaluating toxic metal-carbonyl compounds, as well as for synthesizing compounds that have not been reported. The method, consisting of a class lecture accompanied by a remote computational activity, aims to provide students with the ability to assemble concepts from different fields, such as organometallic chemistry and analytical chemistry, while taking advantage of computational methods to answer higher level questions. We evaluated whether analyzing the nature of M-CO bonding was appropriate for achieving these educational goals. Octahedral compounds of the M(CO)[subscript 6] and M(CO)[subscript 4]L[subscript 2] type, bearing a variety of metal centers (M = Cr, Mo, W, V, Mn and Fe) and ligands (L = phosphines and phosphites), as well as bimetallic Fe[subscript 2](CO)[subscript 9], were compared, showing how these modifications affect M-CO bonding. After the didactic session, attended by second-year and upper-division students of Facultad de Química at UNAM, an evaluation and survey showed that students improved their understanding of the subject when they obtained and visualized IR spectra, also exhibiting greater confidence and enthusiasm for addressing challenging topics. The combination of computational results, spectroscopic analysis, and organometallic theory represents an efficient and clear procedure for implementing chemical thinking, regardless of the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sewage sludge valorization in agricultural fields is in many countries a circular economy strategy to handle the disposal issues of this complex residue. Many countries regulate the content of heavy metals and other agrochemical parameters in sewage sludge, establishing threshold limits for its application in agricultural fields. This requires the employment of robust, time-saving, and cost-effective analytical tools suitable for multielemental analysis at trace levels. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) is a powerful instrumental technique with proven success in this field. In this laboratory experience, students perform a multielemental analysis of sewage sludge samples, by sample acidic digestion in a closed microwave system followed by ICP-OES analysis. Validation of the analytical method is also proposed, evaluating the linear response of an external calibration with internal standardization and using a certified reference material for evaluation of recovery and precision. The method is to be applied to a real sewage sludge sample to assess its nutrient content and to compare levels of heavy metals with enforced regulations. This work was successfully carried out in an analytical chemistry class with undergraduate students of chemical, environmental, and bioengineering bachelor degree courses. Most students reached the proposed learning goals, obtaining good or very good classifications in all evaluated parameters in the assessments of laboratory performance and final group reports.

In the current day and age, innovation is the fodder that keeps companies and institutions running, and universities play an important role. During the crisis and in the post-crisis period, financial support for research and development have undergone significant changes especially at universities. The aim of this research is to conduct a patent focus analysis of the public and state universities in the Czech Republic and to analyze the development in patenting focus structure and to identify perspective and suitable research area. Hierarchical clustering was chosen for its clustering overview clarity and due to the relatively small sample size. Ward's method was chosen as the clustering algorithm with squared Euclidean distance as the system of measurement. Each cluster was characterized by five dominant IPC subsections to describe the patent focus. The patent focus segmentation of 115 public and state universities identified five main groups: medical/pharmacological, material, organic, construction and mixed measuring and material processing. Universities today are centers of knowledge. In addition, they support the innovation that spurs economic activity in a society. Universities have the potential to spur industrial activity with innovation and then pass information on to private firms.

The "Golden Penny" demonstration is a popular experiment that involves treating copper coins with chemical reagents to form brass, an alloy of copper and zinc that has a golden color. Reported here is a very simple modification for forming golden color on copper coins that does not require the use of chemical reagents. Instead, golden colored surfaces can be generated by simply heating copper coins on a hot plate to form nanoscale films of copper oxide. In addition to gold, such oxide layers display a range of other colors including orange, magenta, violet, and silver.

This paper describes the application of an accessible, benchtop mass spectrometer using an Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe (ASAP) for easy sample introduction, coupled with Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization (APCI) as a soft ionization technique, to the inquiry-based identification of the metal composition of alloys, including coins. Students experience the preparation of metal acetylacetonates via traditional salt metathesis and electrochemical methods. They are then encouraged to immediately apply these newly acquired skills to a novel research problem. The discovery aspect of the practical demonstrates opportunities to develop experimental design early in the undergraduate curriculum.

A laboratory experiment has been devised to train new graduate trainees in the safe and controlled handling of air-sensitive organometallic reagents using Schlenk lines, high vacuum pumps, liquid nitrogen traps, and cannula transfers. The reaction involves the formation of air-, moisture-, and thermally sensitive 2-pyridyllithium, generated in situ by the reaction of 2-bromopyridine with n-butyllithium in dry THF at -78 °C. Subsequent transmetalation with dried ZnCl[subscript 2] and reaction with 4-bromo-6-methyl-2-pyrone in the presence of catalytic Pd(PPh[subscript 3])[subscript 4] afforded the heterobiaryl product, 4-(2'-pyridyl)-6-methyl-2-pyrone. The many sensitivities of this experiment serve to provide an excellent practical demonstration for new graduate trainees of what can go wrong when experimental procedures are not accurately followed.

Nanotechnology has been recognized as an important driver of the future economy, and so nanoscience is increasingly being incorporated into the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. This experiment includes the chemical synthesis, optical and chemical testing, and microscopic imaging of gold nanoparticles. Since nanoparticles are too small to measure with optical microscopy, this lab introduces students to atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM is much more affordable than transmission electron microscopy (TEM). With AFM in dynamic mode, nanoparticles deposited onto a flat surface can be counted and measured with almost the same accuracy as TEM. The vast majority of the thousands of students whom we have taught experience success with this experiment. Introductory students (nonscience majors and general chemistry) work in small groups and experience hands-on demonstrations of the AFM instrument. At the advanced level, we have implemented this experiment in a "flipped" lab. For both student populations, we demonstrate an increase in enthusiasm for science and an understanding of nanotechnology.

High-voltage plasma arcs from solid-state Tesla coils were used to produce characteristic atomic emissions of various metals. The colored arcs produced were highly visible and vibrant, making for a spectacularly engaging demonstration for groups of varying sizes. The demonstration used an inexpensive solid-state Tesla coil to generate low-current, high-frequency, high-voltage electrical arcs that atomize and excite metal salts within a constructed vessel, eliciting the associated characteristic spectral emissions as a result. The demonstration serves as a valuable, accessible, and safer alternative to solvent-based demonstrations. Specifically, this method can challenge student misconceptions associated with the traditional flame test due to the flameless nature of the arcs. The demonstration also introduces the mechanisms underpinning inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometers, which are commonplace in analytical laboratories. The high-frequency nature of the Tesla coil arcs reduces the risks of burns and can facilitate further discussions regarding plasma, states of matter, electron behavior, electricity, and alternate forms of spectroscopy.

Work in industrial contexts is confronted with various risks, which are further amplified by the trend toward Industry 4.0. Approaches are needed to examine safety communication (SC) in such changing environments. Existing studies focus on individual SC means and quantitative evaluation measures. This article proposes a qualitative approach for analyzing SC with which a process chain in a metal-working company is investigated. The results reveal that SC is implemented as a complex system of communicative means. Weaknesses in this system entail several problems at the level of both workplaces and process chains. Due to a lack of digitalization, SC does not meet the requirements of Industry 4.0. Several task areas for communication professionals are identified in optimizing SC. These include content preparation for existing SC means according to work contexts and related tasks, creating digital SC content, and increasing the companies' resilience to novel risks.

This study centered on the views of the professionals about the non-technical skills considered crucial as recruitment prerequisite among graduates of metalwork technology from technical and vocational institutions in Nigeria. It will also examine the possibility of integrating these skills into the curriculum. The study made use of the survey research design. One research question guided the study. The population for the study comprised metalwork technology professionals in Ogun State, Southwestern Nigeria. A 36-item questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. The instrument was validated by experts from the University of Lagos (UNILAG). The reliability of the instrument was determined using Cronbach Alpha and the reliability index which stood at 0.79. The data collected were analysed using mean statistic and standard deviation. The study revealed that professionals placed great importance on communication skills, problem-solving skills, teamwork skills and self-management qualities among others, as important recruitment prerequisite among graduates of metalwork technology from technical and vocational institutions in Nigeria. The study concludes with the suggestions that non-technical skills should be integrated into the curriculum particularly in the field of metalwork technology in technical colleges. Students should be familiar with the employers' recruitment criteria while they are still in schools in order to equip them with the necessary skills needed for employment.

This paper explores the potential opportunities to enhance the entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial attributes of graduates in the Metallurgy and Materials Engineering curricula at two universities in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Due to the diminishing geographical constraints between Zimbabwe and South Africa, and the strong juxtaposition between the two economies, this paper adopts a simplified comparative education methodology to benchmark education best practices between these two countries. While the reviewed curricula in their present form may be providing learners with opportunities for disciplinary problem solving and inquiry-based learning, this paper proposes a body-centred cubic (bcc) model to integrate a new dimension of entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial education into the teaching and learning space. Based on the 3D bcc lattice with six planes, where the first five planes represent the current curricula, pedagogy practices and desired attributes, the sixth plane is taken to represent the additional dimensions of the desired entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial attributes.

An integrated laboratory experience using metal--organic frameworks (MOFs), a nanoporous and crystalline extended solid material composed of metal cations and organic linkers, was developed and adopted for upper-division, major-level chemistry and biochemistry students. In this laboratory, students were guided through the facile solvothermal synthesis of four MOFs: UiO-66, UiO-66-NH[subscript 2], ZIF-8, and ZIF-67. Characterization, specifically powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) were used to evaluate the crystallinity, morphology, and composition of the MOFs, respectively. Students then investigated the effects of measurement conditions (MOF dosage, MOF surface charge, and charge density of dye counterions) on the removal of dyes from aqueous solutions using the synthesized MOFs. Through the utilization of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and UV-vis spectroscopy, students confirmed the binding of dyes and quantified the amounts of dye removed from solution. Students found that all four porous and crystalline MOFs removed acid orange 7 and malachite green from water, but ZIF-67 exhibited the highest adsorption capacity of 30 mg of acid orange 7 per gram of ZIF-67 at a dosage of 5 mg. This laboratory experience allows students to apply and connect concepts found in general, organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry while simultaneously getting introduced to various instrumentation and lab techniques within a growing field in materials chemistry. Exposure to this field can help stimulate student interest, expose them to sustainability problems and potential solutions, and implement strategies to help solve these challenges.

Learning science outdoors can enhance the understanding of theoretical scientific content taught in the classroom. However, learners are rarely afforded the opportunity to go outdoors to learn chemistry. This study investigates how problem-based learning outdoors can facilitate the understanding of basic chemistry in teacher education. A teaching unit was designed according to which student teachers at two Norwegian universities were asked to examine and identify corroded metals in the nearby outdoor environment and propose solutions to avoid this corrosion. Video data from this task were collected by using chest-mounted cameras for four groups of student teachers (N = 17). A thematic analysis of the videos yielded four themes related to the student teachers' use of content knowledge and experimental competence. Based on these findings, three learning opportunities were deduced for how the nearby outdoor environment allows learners to use everyday phenomena for learning basic chemistry. First, the availability of different corrosion incidents allowed the student teachers to choose and solve one of interest to them. Second, the proximity of the outdoor location to the classroom enabled the seamless continuity of discussions when switching between the learning arenas, and allowed for different approaches to solve the task. Third, being asked to conduct analyses outside customary laboratory routines led to an unexpected awareness of health and safety issues among the student teachers, indicating that outdoor chemistry is an overlooked opportunity for teaching these.

Iron is needed for normal development in adolescence. Exposure to individual environmental metals (e.g., lead) has been associated with altered iron status in adolescence, but little is known about the cumulative associations of multiple metals with Fe status. We used data from the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to examine associations between a metal mixture (lead, manganese, cadmium, selenium) and iron status in 588 U.S. adolescents (12-17 years). We estimated cumulative and interactive associations of the metal mixture with five iron status metrics using Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR). Higher concentrations of manganese and cadmium were associated with lower log-transformed ferritin concentrations. Interactions were observed between manganese, cadmium, and lead for ferritin and the transferrin receptor, where iron status tended to be worse at higher concentrations of all metals. These results may reflect competition between environmental metals and iron for cellular uptake. Mixed metal exposures may alter normal iron function, which has implications for adolescent development.

As part of COVID-19 preparedness, a student-developed, Android-based app was used as a pre-laboratory learning aid for a molecular modeling laboratory in a first-year general chemistry course. A worksheet activity with trigger codes and questions related to spatial features of transition metal complexes was designed. Using the Transition Metal Visualization (TMVis) app, learners activated augmented reality models on their mobile phones. Actual models were then constructed in class. Mean stereochemistry post-laboratory grades increased with stronger worksheet grades, though differences between worksheet grades for app and non-app users were not significant. Feedback revealed that approximately 60% of respondents preferred the physical modeling kit, citing ease of visualization and hands-on interactivity as its key strengths. Improvements for future work were proposed in light of the results and limitations.

We describe a guided-inquiry laboratory experiment for instrumental analysis in which our students test an improved protocol for the recycling of silver chloride to produce nontoxic waste. Students are provided with samples of silver chloride that they created as waste products in a previous lab experiment and tasked with performing a stepwise reduction of silver ions with copper metal, and then of copper ions with iron metal. Along the way, the students select appropriate analytical methods to determine the concentrations of various metal ions present and use their results to evaluate the efficiency of the metal recycling protocol. The stepwise reduction method reliably recovers silver and copper metals in high yields, making it a practical method for silver chloride waste management. This experiment served to assess students' lab skills and scientific writing while providing them with opportunities to reflect on the importance of sustainable lab practices.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many universities have switched to online learning platforms, which inhibits engineering students from completing formative hands-on experiments. To address this, we developed at-home experiments for an undergraduate biomaterials course. These inquiry-based learning experiments were well received by students and resulted in positive learning gains by pre/post-test assessment. These results motivate the use of similar experiments to remotely teach engineering concepts to wider audiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Biochemistry primarily focuses on the non-metal chemical elements carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus in the four groups of building blocks (sugars, lipids, amino acids, and nucleotides) and the corresponding macromolecules. However, at least 10 essential chemical elements of life are metals. This article discusses the consequences of such a bias, presents current knowledge that over 20 chemical elements are required for life, and makes a case for--and suggests benefits of--teaching "elemental biology" alongside molecular biology and biochemistry, and inorganic chemistry in addition to organic chemistry. A relatively new interdisciplinary field, metallomics, has the potential to be a platform for integration when added to glycomics, lipidomics, proteomics, and genomics. It would fill a major gap in contemporary education, be relevant for many areas of science, and facilitate the teaching of important principles of chemistry in the biological sciences, thus helping students to gain a broader understanding of life processes from the molecular to the systemic biology level.

While agricultural mechanics, which includes metal fabrication, continues to be popular among school-based agricultural education (SBAE) students (Hubert & Leising, 2000), the number of required courses in agricultural mechanics for teaching certification in agricultural education is relatively low (Blackburn, Robinson, & Field, 2015). Despite the minimal required coursework, Saucier and McKim (2010) argued that all SBAE teachers who instruct agricultural mechanics should be technically competent. To ensure preservice teachers are technically prepared to enter the profession, this study, guided by the model for teacher preparation (Whittington, 2005), sought to determine the essential metal fabrication knowledge and skills which beginning SBAE teachers should possess prior to beginning a career in agricultural education. Results from this study identified eight essential knowledge and skill areas categorized into four categories, metal fabrication equipment, metal fabrication production, student assessment, and laboratory management. Preservice teacher programs should be evaluated to determine if they are effectively preparing teachers in the curriculum area of metal fabrication. Teacher educators and professional development staff should plan professional education programs for in-service teachers in this agricultural mechanics area.

This is an easy and cheap experiment where chemistry Masters students can evaluate the role of some metal ions (i.e., Cu[superscript II] and Mn[superscript II]) in dopamine oxidation, related to Parkinsonism. The required prior knowledge is being familiar with the basis of UV-vis spectroscopy. Details of the activity, including procedure and experimental data, are provided.

This paper describes an inquiry-based integrated laboratory project for green synthesis, characterization, and applications of silver and gold nanoparticles. In this project, students were able to choose their choice of plant extract as reducing and stabilizing agents, and the students also designed their own experiments. This course gave the students experience conducting research in the fields of analytical chemistry or materials science, which also helped develop their abilities in critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and laboratory skills.

Despite tremendous efforts by instructors and textbook authors, students find it difficult to develop useful chemical intuitions about structures and key properties of the important d-block organometallic species that have a d[superscript 6], d[superscript 8], or d[superscript 10] d-electron count. A full molecular orbital analysis is not always practical, and crystal field theory, while generally useful, is too limited here. It would be helpful to give students of organometallic chemistry an additional toolkit for understanding highly covalent d-block compounds. Hybridization arguments involving s and d orbitals (such as sd/sd[superscript 2] hybridization for d[superscript 8]/d[superscript 6] systems) provide useful insight, as is known from the research literature but rarely taught in undergraduate courses. This article makes descriptions of bonding that are based on s,d-hybridized orbitals more accessible, targeted toward undergraduate teaching. Geometries of unusual low-coordinate structures can be predicted. An in-depth physical explanation for the "trans" influence is provided. A clear explanation is given for the higher stability of the "cis" isomers versus the "trans" isomers in square-planar d[superscript 8] complexes MR[subscript 2]L[subscript 2] (R = alkyl/aryl, L = relatively weakly bonded neutral ligand) and for the "fac" versus "mer" isomers in octahedral d6 complexes MR[subscript 3]L[subscript 3]. Relevant to catalysis, it is explained why strongly donating ligands do not always facilitate oxidative addition and why 12-electron and 14-electron Pd(0) species are thermodynamically much more accessible than expected. The method capitalizes on first year knowledge, namely, the ability to write Lewis structures and to use hybridization arguments. It ties into the upper-year experience, including graduate school, where covalent d-block complexes may be encountered in research and where hybridization schemes will naturally emerge from using the natural bond orbital (NBO) formalism. It is discussed where the method might fit into the inorganic curriculum.