Let your students experience the creativity of scientific research. They’ll learn to synthesize ionic liquids and explore their unique properties.
Project timeline
Ionic Liquids follows IRIS’ 4 phased project structure:
Preparation & launch: Teachers prepare and launch the project, using our helpful guidance documents.
Background research & skills development: With access to our support materials, students develop the knowledge and skills required to successfully complete research.
Student research: Young scientists systematically investigate, explore, discover, analyse and establish their conclusions.
Artefact development and conference: Students produce an article, academic poster presentation or academic paper, based on their research process and/or findings with the aim of exhibiting at IRIS’ conference.
Overview
Advanced
suitability
Ionic Liquids provides endless opportunities for young people to develop and enhance their understanding of chemistry. Many students say this research project has helped them come to grips with concepts they previously found daunting.
Students begin by learning about these interesting chemicals and how to safely synthesise one at school or college. Applications of ionic liquids are wide-ranging so where the project goes next is entirely up to them.
Students are provided with methods for making some ionic liquids used in modern research, enabling them to choose a wide variety of properties to investigate in their own research project. As these are very unconventional, there is so much to explore.
Through IRIS’ relationships with UK universities, there is an opportunity for students to visit and use real research labs, meet current researchers in this area and learn about advanced spectrometers. Skills learnt during this project will help embed practical techniques taught in the classroom as well as provide opportunities to learn about chemistry careers.
With this, it is our project, we do what we want. That’s not really an experience you get with most things.