Too often chemistry teachers find themselves trying to hook students with a demonstration or lab that has that �wow factor�. Many of these activities involve chemicals that are potentially harmful to the students, the teacher, the environment and are also very costly. Then multiply that activity by the number of students performing it year after year that was my �wow factor�. With Green Chemistry we focus on real world problems and solutions that the students care about. This is our hook. Through many of the laboratory activities that Beyond Benign has designed my students are given the opportunity to explore issues that we are facing in the world right now.For example the Dye-Sensitized Blackberry Solar Cell laboratory students gain a deeper understanding of the worlds' energy needs, negative impacts of traditional solar cells, current advances in solar technology and they actually create their own solar cell from blackberry juice and it works, every time! Green Chemistry makes sense to my students and guides them towards a life of stewardship and sustainability.

Making chemistry safer, more relevant, and way more fun with Green Chemistry

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.