2 research outputs found
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Voltage Induced Variation of Solid Acid Catalyst Acidity
In biomass decomposition, acid groups catalyze the degradation of cellulose to form glucose. Liquid phase acid catalysts are commonly used for biomass conversion; however solid acid may be a more cost-effective approach since they obviate the need for dilute acid pretreatment. Currently, the required acidity of solid acid catalysts to hydrolyze cellulose is unknown. Here, we attempt to develop an electrochemical technique that effectively varies the acidity of solid acid catalysts. We applied voltage offsets to acidic SAMs at varying pH levels and characterized the fraction of protonated acid groups with EIS. The results indicated that SAMs degraded under the experimental conditions, and therefore, the factors that contributed to the stability of SAMs were investigated
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Computational Chemistry as a Teaching Aid
Molecular modeling software has transformed the capabilities of researchers. Molecular modeling software has the potential to be a helpful teaching tool, though as of yet its efficacy as a teaching technique has yet to be proven. This project focused on determining the effectiveness of a particular molecular modeling software in high school classrooms. Our team researched what topics students struggled with, surveyed current high school chemistry teachers, chose a modeling software, and then developed a lesson plan around these topics. Lastly, we implemented the lesson in two separate high school classrooms. We concluded that these programs show promise for the future, but with the current limitations of high school technology, these tools may not be as impactful