The Micro-Lab Kaiserslautern

Kaliumtris(oxalato)chromate

 

 The Micro-Lab Kaiserslautern is being sponsored by 

Robert Bosch Stiftung                                      and 

Fonds der Chemischen Industrie

 

Cobalt(II)tartrate

 

 In the Micro-Lab chemical experiments are being carried out under the microscope. Consumption of time and chemicals and waste production are minimized, while the chemical reaction can be observed extremely well. 

Tetrammincoppernitrate crystals at a silver tree          

 

 The most fascinating images are being seen directly in the microscope. Reproductions on the screen or on paper show much less contrast, brilliance, and intricate detail.

Deposition of copper on an iron surface and proof of dissolved  iron(II) 

ions with the Prussian Blue reaction. At the copper-iron borderline

crystalline iron(II)sulfate heptahydrate can be seen.

 

 The reaction protocols are being optimized in the Micro-Lab for use in combination with microscopic observation. The result of this optimization may be a facilitation of the original procedure or optimized concentration of the reagents used in order to produce a precipitate of just the proper density or a description of suitable crystallization conditions for the material under consideration.

Orthorhombic sulfur from toluene                

 

Subjects looked at so far:

Corrosion, Metal precipitation, Redox reactions

Complex chemistry

Acid/Base-Indicators, Redox indicators

Dyes: Azo dyes, Anthrachinone dyes, Triphenylmethane dyes, Indigoid dyes, Azine dyes, Phthalocyanine dyes

Fluorescence, Chemoluminescence

Chemical gardens

Liesegang rings

Probing metal cations

Main group elements and halides thereof

Oscillating reactions

Phase transition of monoklinic to orthorhombic sulfur

 

Offers for Cooperation:

 

Laboratory practicals for high school students

 

Seminars for high school teachers

Once a year the chemistry department of the TU Kaiserslautern offers a two day seminar, where high school teachers hear lectures from different chemical disciplines. The inorganic chemistry department participates with a topical lecture and with a laboratory practical on chemical experiments under the microscope.

 

Lectures for high school classes:

The Micro-Lab Kaiserslautern offers lectures to subjects given by interested high school teachers, if there is suitable material available in the Micro-Lab. If reservation is made well in advance, materials can be prepared by the students working in the Micro-Lab.

This offer holds preferentially (not exclusively) for schools in the western palatinate area.

 

Support for partner schools:

One goal of the Micro-Lab Kaiserslautern is the advancement of microscope use in high schools for the observation of chemical experiments. In addition to the seminars for high school teachers questions can be answered and problems may be solved by the Micro-Lab staff upon request.

 Crystallization of Phenolphthaleine

 

 

Coworkers in the Micro-Lab

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Oliver Schmidt, 2004

7. Sandra Kirch, 2004

6. Inga Wolf, 2004

5. Stefanie Schneider, 2004

4. Nicole Junker, 2004

3. Elmar Wolfer, 2003

2. Christian Schlick, 2003

1. Frank Decker, 2002 
  Contact:       sitzmann@chemie.uni-kl.de

 

Workup of methyl orange dye

 

 Thanks are given to the Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH for a donation of a valuable objective for the Zeiss Axioscope.

Synthesis of ferroine from phenanthroline