The reduction of CuBr2 by NaBH4 in a variety of solvents yields nanoscale metallic copper as the primary product. Although the product of this reaction is largely solvent independent, the studies show that reaction times, the total volume of gaseous products, and nanoscale particle sizes are dependent on solvent properties. The reaction occurred instantaneously in polar, protic, and acidic solvents such as methanol and ethanol. In contrast, in polar, aprotic, and coordinating solvents such as tetrahydrofuran and acetonitrile, the reaction was slow. Particle sizes increased as the rate of reaction decreased. For solvents in which similar reaction times were observed, the reaction carried out in polar, aprotic, and coordinating solvents yielded copper samples with larger particle sizes. The acid properties of the solvent controlled the amount of gas evolved in these experiments.

This activity, which allows students to extract DNA from plant and animal cells, serves as a spectacular example of the complexity of biochemical structure and function and fits well with a discussion of nucleic acids, hydrogen bonding, genetic coding, and heredity. DNA extraction can also be used in conjunction with a discussion of polymers and their properties. This activity can be used to complement a diffraction experiment illustrating how the double helix structure of DNA was determined.

This activity, which allows students to extract DNA from plant and animal cells, serves as a spectacular example of the complexity of biochemical structure and function and fits well with a discussion of nucleic acids, hydrogen bonding, genetic coding, and heredity. DNA extraction can also be used in conjunction with a discussion of polymers and their properties. This activity can be used to complement a diffraction experiment illustrating how the double helix structure of DNA was determined.