I co-instruct and coordinate an undergraduate materials and nanoscience (MNS) lab at the University of Waterloo. One experiment in 2nd year consistently stands out as my students’ favourite, and it involves the synthesis and characterization of “capped” cadmium selenide (CdSe) “quantum dots” (QDs).
This series of articles considers some common organic molecules that we encounter in our everyday lives. Described will be some general chemical information about the organic molecule, how it is useful to us and other interesting facts.
Why is the heavy metal element gadolinium utilized in MRI scanning? Is there any chemistry involved? Yes. Read on.
In part 1 published in the April 2017 issue, the molecular structures of the photochromic dyes used in eyeglass lenses were discussed. In part 2, the engineering and chemical design of the lenses will be highlighted. The student questions will focus on kinetics and experimental design.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines photochromic(1) as: “capable of changing color on exposure to radiant energy (as light), e.g., photochromic glass”. Photochromic eyeglass lenses were introduced in 1966, and photochromic plastic lenses....
How many of you have heard of para-chlorobenzotrifluoride (PCBTF)? Or to give it a more systematic name, 1-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzene. In a previous article, I described the hazard of the xylene-ethylbenzene hydrocarbon mixture often used as a solvent in varnishes and glues.
Consulting the print edition of the Canadian Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties1 (CPS) for the product monograph of the drug Bisoprolol, my attention strayed to the immediately preceding entry Bismutal...
The inspiration for making pictures from droplets of chemicals first came from a Chemistry Club session at our school.
Shortly after New Year’s Day 2017 a radio news item noted that the Province of Ontario’s newly introduced cap and trade1 system for carbon pricing would result in higher pump prices for gasoline and diesel fuel. The increase for diesel fuel would be greater on a per litre basis. Why is this?
We began to use individual tablets of over-the-counter (OTC) consumer products as samples for some introductory analytical chemistry experiments in 2006.