The Ohio State University

REEL Program at Ohio State

Inorganic Pigment Module

The NSF-sponsored REEL (Research Experiences to Enhance Learning) program is designed to introduce a more realistic laboratory experience to first and second year chemistry students. This experiment was based on research, rather than the "cookbook" experiments usually encountered.
 

Dr. Patrick Woodward, Dr. Vinnie Subramaniam, and Brittany Poast introduced the Inorganic Pigment Module in the Chemistry 123 course for 150 students this spring quarter. Inorganic pigments are used to add color to various commercial products such as paints and plastics. Unfortunately, some of the most beautiful commercial pigments can be highly toxic.
 

As part of this REEL project, students were asked to propose, prepare and analyze (via powder X-ray diffraction and UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectra) a new non-toxic inorganic pigment that is red, orange, or yellow and not previously reported in the scientific literature. Background information about how to determine what color an inorganic pigment will be and how to analyze their target compound was provided. This element of 'new discovery' embedded into the experiment promises to make this their most exciting lab experience yet.
 

For more details, visit www.ohio-reel.osu.edu.
 

Program Highlights:

• Interestingly, some students synthesized actual commercial pigments and potential targets for new pigments as well.
• X-Ray Powder Diffraction and UV-Visible Diffuse Reflectance are not normally introduced to students until graduate school. The students were given the opportunity to learn about and use this very advanced equipment for characterization purposes.
• Students appreciated the freedom to think, the uniqueness in learning, and a realistic perspective of research while suggesting that we become more organized in presenting and implementing the research module.