Revised experiment creates low-cost access to the science

Ten dollars doesn’t seem to go very far these days, but that’s all it costs to create a demonstration highlighting the field of electrochemistry, thanks to a new experiment created by a University of Delaware chemistry doctoral student.

Fabian Dauzvardis, under the guidance of Joel Rosenthal, professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has revised a traditional experiment that shows the principles underlying electroplating by taking a penny, hooking it to a nine-volt battery and putting it into a beaker that contains a small strip of zinc, a solution of zinc sulfate, and an additive that is found in everything from Mountain Dew to shampoo. The penny becomes plated with the zinc turning it “silver.” The penny is then heated on a hotplate, causing more of its copper atoms to appear, giving the penny a beautiful “gold” color. 

The result is a new hands-on way to teach the foundational concepts of a field of chemistry used to create everyday objects, like jewelry or silverware, and in research and technologies related to sustainability and combating climate change. 

Increasing Safety, Accessibility

In the traditional version of the experiment, the solution was heated over a flame, increasing the risk of something going wrong, and tethering it to a lab with a heat source.

“You want experienced chemists doing those kind of manipulations,” Rosenthal said. 

The new version is safer, less expensive and portable, making it ideal for students to do themselves, or for demonstration in front of a large class. 

Which is exactly what Dauzvardis did recently at a UD CHEM104 General Chemistry class. He and Rosenthal surveyed the students before the demonstration to assess how much they knew about the principles of the chemistry involved, and then Dauzvardis performed the experiment, projecting it on a screen for the 115 students. A post-demonstration survey showed the students’ understanding of the underlying concepts had doubled. 

Giving students an opportunity to see the experiment exposes them to a field Rosenthal says is “critically important for students to learn nowadays,” but one that is usually a tiny part of a general chemistry curriculum. 

Dauzvardis conducted the same experiment with local high school students and teachers this summer as part of a new summer outreach program that provided hands-on experiences across a variety of STEM fields, and at events for prospective UD students and parents. He said that while reactions vary, most people can comprehend the principles.

“It's really cool to show the penny, and then seeing them understand how it applies in their everyday life,” he said. 

Expanding the reach

That connection may broaden in the future as applications for electrochemistry research continue to expand, much of it tied to sustainability. Dauzvardis has worked on electrochemically reforming waste polymers, as well as a chemical byproduct that comes from the production of titanium dioxide. Electrochemistry is also used in research for fuel cells, hydrogen evolution, water splitting and carbon dioxide reduction and conversion.

He and Rosenthal plan to submit an article about the experiment and the success of the CHEM 104 class demonstration to the Journal of Chemical Education. They hope to inspire others with their experience. 

“The concepts of electrochemistry are important not just for the chemical enterprise, but material science, chemical engineering and electrical engineering. This experiment has a lot of breath to it,” Rosenthal said.