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.