New and Unconventional Strategies in Sustainable Chemistry Education at All Levels

A topical collection in Sustainable Chemistry (ISSN 2673-4079).

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Editors


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Collection Editor
Institute for the Study of Nanostructured Materials (ISMN)—Italian National Research Council (CNR), Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
Interests: solution combustion synthesis; nanomaterials for energy and environment; perovskite-type compounds; solid oxide fuel cells; rietveld analysis; sustainability and green chemistry
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Collection Editor
School of Chemistry, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis in environmental and sustainable chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

The adjective “Sustainable” is now essential within all scientific disciplines, and especially so for Chemistry. Important measures have been taken at the international level to promote this new way of performing Chemistry and these have been adopted by many scientists. If Sustainable Chemistry is to have a positive impact on society, it is clearly very important to raise citizens’ awareness of this new way of doing Chemistry and the important role of Chemistry for both sustainable development and citizen’s well-being.

It is also important to change the societal perception of aspects such as critical raw materials and feature the necessity to exploit alternative and sustainable resources, for example, waste. The importance of Chemistry in remediating polluted environments, producing new functional materials, or helping with clean energy production and storage also needs to be highlighted.

Citizens of tomorrow, are the students of today. Therefore, the aim of this topical collection is to focus on new and unconventional learning paths and communication tools/modalities that can be used to successfully educate students at all levels on the value of Sustainable Chemistry, through student engagement.

All research-active chemists that have an educational role are invited to share their experience and knowledge on novel efforts to educate in Sustainable Chemistry in the form of an original article or review in this topical collection.

Contributors will be invited to specify the type of audience chosen for the featured activity and the specific targets aiming to contribute to one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals should be also highlighted. This topical collection intends to represent a collection of such efforts and serve as an inspiration for developing successful educational activities on Sustainable Chemistry from primary schools to University, and thus act as a stimulus for increasing their impact on society.

We welcome any topic of Chemistry Education that has a connection with Sustainability, and any contribution, either as an original manuscript or review, on the following and related topics:

  • Proposals/examples of strategies and approaches by which chemistry education addresses some of the global challenges associated with the UN Sustainable Development Goals across all educational levels.
  • Proposals/examples on the adaptation of existing pedagogical approaches for delivering Sustainable Chemistry education across all educational levels

Among the communication tools sought, the following are particularly welcome: well-described interactive hands-on experiments (with videos of the experiment in the supporting information recommended) and impactful ideas and associations between Sustainable Chemistry and everyday life.

The Sustainable Chemistry knowledge that is intended to be disseminated through the described activity should be clearly described and the measured impact of the technique highlighted.

Dr. Francesca Deganello
Prof. Dr. James A. Sullivan
Collection Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainable Chemistry is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (4 papers)

2023

17 pages, 1322 KiB  
Article
High School Sustainable and Green Chemistry: Historical–Epistemological and Pedagogical Considerations
by Teresa Celestino
Sustain. Chem. 2023, 4(3), 304-320; https://doi.org/10.3390/suschem4030022 - 14 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1834
Abstract
In this paper, a distinction is first made between environmental, sustainable, and green chemistry; the last two are then examined in relation to the more general problem of environmental education. A brief historical digression on the Science, Technology, and Society movement attempts to [...] Read more.
In this paper, a distinction is first made between environmental, sustainable, and green chemistry; the last two are then examined in relation to the more general problem of environmental education. A brief historical digression on the Science, Technology, and Society movement attempts to dissect reasons why chemistry is seen by the general public as a problem, not as a decisive resource for the realization of the ecological transition. Although sustainable and green chemistry can be decisive in overcoming the insularity of chemical disciplines in high school, it is not well-embedded in educational practices. This situation is slowly changing thanks to the implementations of systems thinking in teaching practice, showing interconnections between the molecular world and sustainability. Historical and epistemological studies provide an all-encompassing framework for the relationship between chemistry and the environment in a broad sense, giving a solid foundation for educational projects. Specific operational goals can help chemical educators in supporting real learning, as well as an examination of the fundamental axes of sustainable and green chemistry, according to the criteria of Scientific and Technological Literacy. Finally, the results of some research carried out in secondary school are presented. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the interdisciplinary-systemic approach in teaching chemistry as well as in guiding future green careers and reducing the gender gap, preparing high school students in the best possible way to face the challenges of an increasingly interconnected and complex world. Full article
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22 pages, 3606 KiB  
Article
Adding Sustainability in Analytical Chemistry Education through Monitoring Aquarium Water Quality
by Noelia Rosales-Conrado and Juan Peña-Martínez
Sustain. Chem. 2023, 4(3), 282-303; https://doi.org/10.3390/suschem4030021 - 10 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1576
Abstract
This paper introduces a captivating topic for upper-level analytical chemistry capstone projects, focusing on aquarium water analysis. This provides a more comprehensive understanding of the role of analytical chemistry towards sustainability and its environmental, economic, societal and education dimensions. Regarding the crucial role [...] Read more.
This paper introduces a captivating topic for upper-level analytical chemistry capstone projects, focusing on aquarium water analysis. This provides a more comprehensive understanding of the role of analytical chemistry towards sustainability and its environmental, economic, societal and education dimensions. Regarding the crucial role of maintaining optimal aquarium water quality for the welfare of aquatic life, students are tasked with envisioning and executing the measurement of key parameters, including pH, ammonium, nitrite, and nitrate contents. This hands-on experience not only engages students in real-world applications, but also allows them to delve into essential analytical chemistry principles. They carefully select measurement methods, considering factors such as instrument availability, ease of use, precision and sensitivity requirements, sample size, and matrix effects. Besides fostering the acquisition of technical and soft skills, one notable aspect of this type of project is the exceptionally high student satisfaction. Furthermore, the project’s outcomes have proven to be significant predictors of learning achievements. Additionally, it lays the foundation for exploring potential designs of aquaponics systems and fosters interdisciplinary projects, expanding the practical applications in the field of chemistry education. Overall, these projects exemplify enriching and engaging educational experiences that empower students with valuable skills and knowledge while encouraging them to explore novel avenues in analytical chemistry. Full article
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10 pages, 575 KiB  
Article
Green and Sustainable Chemistry Teacher Education: Experiences from a Brazilian University
by Caroindes J. C. Gomes and Vânia G. Zuin Zeidler
Sustain. Chem. 2023, 4(3), 272-281; https://doi.org/10.3390/suschem4030020 - 21 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1274
Abstract
Green and sustainable chemistry education provides opportunities to comprehend and base chemistry knowledge on relevant social and historical contexts, reflecting on fairer and sustainable realities. For this purpose, this work discusses the possibilities and challenges observed during a chemistry teacher training course at [...] Read more.
Green and sustainable chemistry education provides opportunities to comprehend and base chemistry knowledge on relevant social and historical contexts, reflecting on fairer and sustainable realities. For this purpose, this work discusses the possibilities and challenges observed during a chemistry teacher training course at a Brazilian university, analyzing how the undergraduates utilized the formative experiences provided by the discipline and how they reinterpreted them when developing didactic sequences based on socio-scientific issues. Using discursive textual analysis, we studied the self-assessments and the didactic sequences produced. The activities developed were positively evaluated by the students and provided the opportunity to create didactic sequences with potential application in schools, founded on cooperative and democratic dynamics and topics that were locally important. On the other hand, the students had some difficulties including chemistry content, mainly considering their relationship with the topics addressed. However, the process proved to be fundamental for the students to perceive themselves as teachers, in addition to provoking them toward (re)constructions and other possibilities. Full article
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7 pages, 1257 KiB  
Communication
The Preparation of Prussian Blue in a Mortar: An Example to Teach Sustainable Chemistry with Mechanochemical Reactions
by Alexander Kraft
Sustain. Chem. 2023, 4(1), 54-60; https://doi.org/10.3390/suschem4010006 - 24 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3633
Abstract
Solvent-free mechanochemical reactions represent an important path towards sustainable chemistry. The preparation of Prussian blue from solid iron and hexacyanoferrate compounds by the simple use of a mortar and pestle is an easy, inexpensive, and fast method to teach mechanochemical reactions. The course [...] Read more.
Solvent-free mechanochemical reactions represent an important path towards sustainable chemistry. The preparation of Prussian blue from solid iron and hexacyanoferrate compounds by the simple use of a mortar and pestle is an easy, inexpensive, and fast method to teach mechanochemical reactions. The course of the reaction can be followed very well visually via the color change of the solid mixture towards blue. With this communication, earlier publications on Prussian blue and mechanochemistry in the field of chemical education are updated and extended. Full article
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