CSTSUM0001 - Illuminating Chemistry

Course Description

Temple University Summer Science Program - Illuminating Chemistry

Program Dates: July 25th - August 15th (Monday - Thursday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.)

Cost: $1800 per student

Temple University Summer Science Program gives you hands-on research experience by working on research projects in many disciplines. The three-week STEM research program provide students with the opportunity to develop high-level research skills not usually available through high school laboratories. Students will explore the understanding of chemistry through hands-on experimentation, for example, synthesis of luminescent inorganic molecules and its systematic characterization through spectroscopy techniques such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Absorption (UV-Visible), Luminescence and Chemiluminescence.

In related, supporting activities, students will gain basic understanding of isolation, purification and characterization of natural products. They will use steam distillation to isolate cinnamaldehyde from dried, ground bark cinnamon. The isolation of caffeine from tea leaves will give them the opportunity to use sublimation as a purification technique.

In addition, students will explore the chemistry of synthetic polymers; Quartz and Nylon. Students will learn how to synthesize these polymers and model its structure in comparison to natural polymers (DNA) on the nanoscale using computer based molecular simulations software called Odyssey.