Integration of Electrochemistry into the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum

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Chemistry (12)In spite of the many types of kinetic and thermodynamic information available through electrochemical techniques, few undergraduates have the opportunity to carry out such experiments. This project seeks to address this deficiency through the acquisition of a computer controlled potentiostat. Use of the instrument is being implemented throughout the chemistry curriculum beginning with Organic Chemistry and culminating in undergraduate research. The project draws from a model developed by Holder at Appalachian State University and adapts experiments from the research literature. Experiments are selected which complement the material being covered in a particular course, and which illustrate the usefulness of electrochemical techniques for understanding molecular properties. The project is particularly benefiting first generation college students, who comprise approximately 40% of Coe's entering classes. An advisory committee of electrochemistry professionals (from the University of Iowa, Cornell College, and Collins Printed Circuits) has been formed to assist in evaluation and in the development of new experiments suitable for use in undergraduate laboratories. The advisory committee includes expertise from industry, biochemistry, material science, and environmental engineering; the new experiments being developed include these interdisciplinary areas. Students are expected to gain a broad understanding of the use of electrochemistry to solve chemical problems. Dissemination will include presentations at regional and national meetings, publication in the chemical education literature and research literature, and creation of an electrochemical education Web page.