Microscale chemistry
Encyclopedia
Microscale Chemistry is a teaching method
widely used at school
and at university
levels, working with small quantities of chemical substance
s. While much of traditional chemistry teaching centers on multi-gramme preparations, milligrammes of substances are sufficient for Microscale Chemistry. In Universities modern and expensive lab glass ware is used and modern methods for detection and characterization of the produced substances are very common. In schools and in many countries of the Southern hemisphere small-scale working takes place with low-cost and even no-cost material. There has always been a place for small-scale working in qualitative
analysis, but the new developments can encompass much of chemistry a student is likely to meet.
One is based on the idea that many of the experiments associated with General Chemistry (acids and bases, oxidation and reduction, electrochemistry, etc.) can be carried out in equipment much simpler (injection bottles, dropper bottles, syringes, wellplates, plastic pipettes) and therefore cheaper than the traditional glassware in a laboratory, thus enabling the expansion of the laboratory experiences of students in large classes and to introduce laboratory work into institutions too poorly equipped for standard-type work. Pioneering development in this area was carried out by Egerton C. Grey (1928), Mahmoud K. El-Marsafy (1989) in Egypt, Stephen Thompson in the US and others. A further application of these ideas was the devising by Bradley of the Radmaste kits in South Africa, designed to make effective chemical experiments possible in developing countries in schools that lack the technical services (electricity, running water) taken for granted in many places.
The other strand is the introduction of this approach into synthetic work, mainly in organic chemistry. Here the crucial breakthrough was achieved by Mayo, Pike and Butcher and by Williamson who demonstrated that inexperienced students were able to carry out organic syntheses on a few tens of milligrams, a skill previously thought to require years of training and experience. These approaches were accompanied by the introduction of some specialised equipment, which was subsequently simplified by Breuer without great loss of versatility.
There is a great deal of published material available to help in the introduction of such a scheme, providing advice on choice of equipment, techniques and preparative experiments and the flow of such material is continuing through a column in the Journal of Chemical education called ‘The Microscale Laboratory’ that has been running for many years.
Scaling down experiments, when combined with modern projection technology, opened up the possibility of carrying out lecture demonstrations of the most hazardous kind in total safety.
The approach has been adopted world wide. It has become a major presence on the educational scene in the US, it is used to a lesser extent in the UK and it is used in many countries in institutions with staff who are enthusiastic about it.
May 2000 at Universidad Iberoamericana - Ciudad de Mexico
2nd International Symposium on Microscale Chemistry
13. - 15. December 2001 at Hong Kong Baptist University - Hong Kong http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~chem/Photo_micro_2001.htm
3rd International Symposium on Microscale Chemistry
18. - 20. May 2005 at Universidad Iberoamericana - Ciudad de Mexico http://72.14.221.104/search?q=cache:2sQSU6Rb7lkJ:www.cpe.fr/ectn-assoc/archives/lib/2005/N01/200501_3rd_IMCS_Announc.pdf+International+Symposium+on+Microscale+Chemistry&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3
Teaching method
A teaching method comprises the principles and methods used for instruction. Commonly used teaching methods may include class participation, demonstration, recitation, memorization, or combinations of these...
widely used at school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
and at university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
levels, working with small quantities of chemical substance
Chemical substance
In chemistry, a chemical substance is a form of matter that has constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. It cannot be separated into components by physical separation methods, i.e. without breaking chemical bonds. They can be solids, liquids or gases.Chemical substances are...
s. While much of traditional chemistry teaching centers on multi-gramme preparations, milligrammes of substances are sufficient for Microscale Chemistry. In Universities modern and expensive lab glass ware is used and modern methods for detection and characterization of the produced substances are very common. In schools and in many countries of the Southern hemisphere small-scale working takes place with low-cost and even no-cost material. There has always been a place for small-scale working in qualitative
Qualitative research
Qualitative research is a method of inquiry employed in many different academic disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences, but also in market research and further contexts. Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such...
analysis, but the new developments can encompass much of chemistry a student is likely to meet.
History
There are two main strands of the modern approach.One is based on the idea that many of the experiments associated with General Chemistry (acids and bases, oxidation and reduction, electrochemistry, etc.) can be carried out in equipment much simpler (injection bottles, dropper bottles, syringes, wellplates, plastic pipettes) and therefore cheaper than the traditional glassware in a laboratory, thus enabling the expansion of the laboratory experiences of students in large classes and to introduce laboratory work into institutions too poorly equipped for standard-type work. Pioneering development in this area was carried out by Egerton C. Grey (1928), Mahmoud K. El-Marsafy (1989) in Egypt, Stephen Thompson in the US and others. A further application of these ideas was the devising by Bradley of the Radmaste kits in South Africa, designed to make effective chemical experiments possible in developing countries in schools that lack the technical services (electricity, running water) taken for granted in many places.
The other strand is the introduction of this approach into synthetic work, mainly in organic chemistry. Here the crucial breakthrough was achieved by Mayo, Pike and Butcher and by Williamson who demonstrated that inexperienced students were able to carry out organic syntheses on a few tens of milligrams, a skill previously thought to require years of training and experience. These approaches were accompanied by the introduction of some specialised equipment, which was subsequently simplified by Breuer without great loss of versatility.
There is a great deal of published material available to help in the introduction of such a scheme, providing advice on choice of equipment, techniques and preparative experiments and the flow of such material is continuing through a column in the Journal of Chemical education called ‘The Microscale Laboratory’ that has been running for many years.
Scaling down experiments, when combined with modern projection technology, opened up the possibility of carrying out lecture demonstrations of the most hazardous kind in total safety.
The approach has been adopted world wide. It has become a major presence on the educational scene in the US, it is used to a lesser extent in the UK and it is used in many countries in institutions with staff who are enthusiastic about it.
Advantages of Microscale Chemistry
- Saves time for preparation and clear away
- Reduces waste at the source
- More safety
- Lower costs for chemical substances and equipment
- Smaller storage area
- Reduced reliance on intensive ventilation systems
- Pleasant working atmosphere
- Shorter reaction times
- More time for evaluation and communication.
Microscale Centres
- Austria Viktor Obendrauf
- China Zhou Ning-Huai
- Egypt Mahmoud K. El-Marsafy
- Germany Angela Koehler-Kruetzfeld Peter Schwarz Waltraud Habelitz Michael Tausch
- Hongkong Winghong Chan
- Israel Mordechai Livneh
- Japan Kazuko Ogino
- Mazedonia Metodija Najdoski
- Mexico Jorge Ibanez, Arturo Fregoso, Carmen Doria, Rosa Maria Mainero, Margarita Hernandez, et al.
- Portugal M. Elisa Maia
- South Africa John Bradley Marie DuToit
- Sweden Christer Gruvberg
- USA
- USA
- USA
- USA
- Kenneth M. Doxsee
- Thailand Supawan Tantyanon
- Kuwait Abdulaziz Alnajjar
Microscale Chemistry Conferences
1st International Symposium on Microscale ChemistryMay 2000 at Universidad Iberoamericana - Ciudad de Mexico
2nd International Symposium on Microscale Chemistry
13. - 15. December 2001 at Hong Kong Baptist University - Hong Kong http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~chem/Photo_micro_2001.htm
3rd International Symposium on Microscale Chemistry
18. - 20. May 2005 at Universidad Iberoamericana - Ciudad de Mexico http://72.14.221.104/search?q=cache:2sQSU6Rb7lkJ:www.cpe.fr/ectn-assoc/archives/lib/2005/N01/200501_3rd_IMCS_Announc.pdf+International+Symposium+on+Microscale+Chemistry&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3
No-cost and low-cost materials for Primary and Preparatory schools
- Ampoules, infusion bottles, dropper bottles http://www.micrecol.de/(1wuerz1dE.html
- Micro spiritburner http://www.micrecol.de/1wuerz1eE.html]]
- Soft drink cans http://www.micrecol.de/elecE5b.html
- Blister-packings http://www.micrecol.de/elecE5a.html4
- Disposable 1-mL syringes for smallest volumes http://www.micrecol.de/(1wuerz4aE.html, as measuring cylinder http://www.micrecol.de/(1wuerz4cE.html, burette and pipette http://www.micrecol.de/(1wuerz4bE.html
- Wellplates http://www.micrecol.de/(1wuerz2E.html
- 9-Volt battery http://www.micrecol.de/elecE5c.html
- Two pan scale, weights http://www.micrecol.de/water6a.html
- Beads as models of atoms, molecules, crystal lattices ,
Materials for Secondary and College levels
- Materials from Austria (Viktor Obendrauf) http://www.micrecol.de/microscalingViktorE.html
- Low-cost instrumentation and microscale from HongKong(Winghong Chan) http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~iwlcimc
- Materials from Germany (Eckhard Baumbach) http://www.chemie-baumbach.de
- Materials from Germany (Klaus-G. Häusler) http://www.halbmikrotechnik.de
- Materials from South Africa (John D. Bradley) http://www.micrecol.de/microscalingBradleyE.html
- Materials from Swedish Microscale Center (Christer Gruvberg) http://www.micrecol.de/microscalingchristerE.html
- Materials from National Small-Scale Center USA (Stephen Thompson) http://www.smallscalechemistry.colostate.edu/how_to_use.html
- Materials from Mexican Microscale Chemistry Center (Jorge Ibanez) http://www.uia.mx/investigacion/cmqm/default.html