August 2008

Table of Contents

Online Supplements

Issue Highlights

Editorial: Mathematics Education

Espeically For High School Teachers: Playing Matchmaker

JCE Classroom Activity: The Sweeter Side of Density

JCE Featured Molecule: Molecular Models of Indicators

Acid Form	Base Form
phenolphthalein
methyl orange
methyl red

Using Molecular Dynamics Simulation To Understand Intermolecular Forces

• Molecular Modeling Exercises and Experiments: Using Molecular Dynamics Simulation To Reinforce Student Understanding of Intermolecular Forces

Demonstrations

• JCE DigiDemos: Tested Demonstrations: Colorful Chemical Fountains
• JCE DigiDemos: Tested Demonstrations: A Hand-Held Ammonia Fountain
• JCE DigiDemos: Tested Demonstrations: Stilling Waves with Ordered Molecular Monolayers
• JCE DigiDemos: Tested Demonstrations: Preparation of Conducting Polymers by Electrochemical Methods and Demonstration of a Polymer Battery
• Cost-Effective Teacher: An Updated Equilibrium Machine
• Using Graphs of Gibbs Energy versus Temperature in General Chemistry Discussions of Phase Changes and Colligative Properties

Electrochemistry

• JCE DigiDemos: Tested Demonstrations: Preparation of Conducting Polymers by Electrochemical Methods and Demonstration of a Polymer Battery
• Simple Potentiometric Determination of Reducing Sugars
• Preparation of Electrically Conductive Polystyrene/Carbon Nanofiber Nanocomposite Films
• Selective Etching via Soft Lithography of Conductive Multilayered Gold Films with Analysis of Electrolyte Solutions
• Gold Electrodes Modified with Self-Assembled Monolayers for Measuring l-Ascorbic Acid. An Undergraduate Analytical Chemistry Laboratory Experiment
• Introducing Undergraduate Students to Electrochemistry: A Two-Week Discovery Chemistry Experiment

ACS National Meeting, Philadelphia, August 17–21, 2008

• Program for the Division of Chemical Education
• Undergraduate Program
• CHED Events
• Presidential Events and Symposia

Exploring Sugar Solution Density

• JCE Classroom Activity: #97 The Sweeter Side of Density
• Measuring the Density of a Sugar Solution. A General Chemistry Experiment Using a Student-Prepared Unknown
• JCE Classroom Activity Extension: Make a Match! Sucrose Laboratories

Nanotechnology

• Construction of a Polyaniline Nanofiber Gas Sensor
• Preparation of Electrically Conductive Polystyrene/Carbon Nanofiber Nanocomposite Films
• Selective Etching via Soft Lithography of Conductive Multilayered Gold Films with Analysis of Electrolyte Solutions

Kinetics

• Data Pooling in a Chemical Kinetics Experiment: The Aquation of a Series of Cobalt(III) Complexes. A Discovery Chemistry Experiment
• Kinetics and Mechanism of Iodide Oxidation by Iron(III): A Clock Reaction Approach
• The Microscale Laboratory: Kinetic Study of the Heck Reaction: An Interdisciplinary Experiment
• Rapid-Equilibrium Enzyme Kinetics
• A Convenient Tool for the Stochastic Simulation of Reaction Mechanisms

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Formation of Micelles. Intermolecular forces play a critical role in many aspects of chemistry. With the commercial availability of programs capable of performing molecular dynamics simulations (MDSs) students can investigate and visualize the effects of these forces. The three overlapping images on the cover were taken as snapshots in time obtained from an MDS (the most faded image is early in the process and the darkest is the end result). This simulation exhibits the formation of micelles obtained when a model surfactant (heptanoate ion shown as space filling) interacts with a water/hexane mixture (shown as ball-and-spoke). The time-sensitive simulation shows the polar heads of several surfactant molecules interact with water regions and the tails of the surfactant extend into the nonpolar region of the simulation cell. The article by Burkholder, Purser, and Cole presents a series of MSD experiments to help students from general chemistry to advanced courses visualize the effects of intermolecular forces.