Chemical Education Journal (CEJ), Vol. 7, No. 2 /Registration No. 7-11/Received December 15, 2003.
URL = http://www.juen.ac.jp/scien/cssj/cejrnlE.html

E-mail: whchan@hkbu.edu.hk

The emergence of the microscale chemistry in innovating chemistry laboratory teaching has been a fascinating move in the recent two decades. The advantages of microscale chemistry are evident in terms of safety, cost-effectiveness and environmental benign nature. Microscale experiments also provide students opportunity to develop creativity thinking to experimental designs and encourage increased accuracy and skill in conducting laboratory activities. After twenty years of development, the use of microscale chemistry is gaining momentum worldwide and is now an integral part of chemistry courses in many parts of the world. New lab-wares and low-cost instrumentations have been developed. Today, Microscale Chemistry is no longer confined to undergraduate teaching in universities, it has gradually become a common practice at the secondary school level as well. The reduction in the running cost of the microscale chemistry enables universities and schools to operate their teaching program with an affordable budget. The effectively trimming the waste generated from the laboratory activities is also the most welcome feature of the approach.

To share the worldwide trend in running the laboratory in microscale way with the readers, we have invited colleagues from different parts of the world, viz. Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Mexico, Sweden and the UK, to contribute articles to the Journal for this special issue on Microscale Chemistry and Low-cost Instrumentation.

Based on a well known redox reaction between sulfite and permanganate, Ibanez has elegantly developed experiments targeting at different levels of students. Both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the reaction at different pH are manifested in the lab-works. Traditionally, ammonia fountain experiment is a magnificent demonstration of the high solubility of ammonia gas in water. Through her article, Kohler clearly showed us that the same principle can be illustrated with mciroscale-kit in a more cost-effective manner. Students can acquire important chemistry concepts through discovery experience as described by Christer. Exemplified by a pair of experiments, the students would be able to learn fundamental concept of stoichiometry and concentration via gravimetric and colormetric analysis. Livneh proposed a series of five experiments to provide learning experiences for high school students on separating mixtures by distillation, chromatography, extraction and filtration. The laboratory activities can be conducted by readily assembled microscale devices. In a comprehensive article, Breuer shared his personal experience in teaching organic chemistry in the microscale way with the readers. With his sound arguments and clear examples, the merits of conducting practical organic chemistry by microscale approach are well spelt out. Analytical chemistry is "microscale" by nature. Choi and his colleagues developed a homemade four-channel photometer and passive samplers. A number of experiments on environmental analysis are described in details.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all contributors and wish you enjoy in reading the articles and get some flavor of microscale chemistry.

Winghong Chan
Guest Editor
Director
Low Cost Instrumentation and Microscale Subgroup
FACS

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