Synthesis and Characterization of Copper Nanoparticles: A Laboratory Experiment for Undergraduate Physical Chemistry

Nonprecious metal nanoparticles have
been the subject
of intensive
research, due to their potential applications in promoting sustainability.
This integrated laboratory experiment is designed to provide undergraduate
students with hands-on experience in synthesizing and characterizing
nonprecious metal nanoparticles, specifically copper nanoparticles.
The experiment consists of three sections, each tailored to teach
a unique aspect of nanochemistry. Section 1 focuses on the air-free
synthesis of copper nanoparticles using a solution-based method with
an emphasis on understanding their plasmonic properties and how oxidation
impacts them. Section 2 explores the quantitative analysis of copper,
where students apply crystal field theory to understand the formation
of copper-ammonia complexes and their corresponding colors. Section
3 features group presentations and discussions in which students share
their results and explore the underlying chemistry through additional
materials characterization techniques and density functional theory
calculations. By integrating these three sections, this experiment
provides a comprehensive teaching tool for undergraduate physical
chemistry laboratory courses, promoting student understanding of nanoparticle
synthesis, characterization, and applications.