This laboratory practice is intended for undergraduate students of chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering, to illustrate the simple concepts behind dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), and how basic chemistry can be translated into a practical application through the use of microcontrollers. Unlike commercial counterparts, one of the main problems of handmade solar cells is their low efficiency that impedes their use as a power source, making the laboratory practice less appealing to students. In this work, we present a simple alternative application using an open-source microcontroller and a solar cell as a switch to turn the light on and off, depending on the actual lighting conditions in the room.

This report discusses the advantages of the use of microplate readers in instructional laboratories. Treated topics include equipment and supplies options, warnings and suggestions, as well as applications in analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, biochemistry, and enzymology.

The interaction of compounds with potential use as pharmaceutical with a carrier protein as serum albumin is of great importance in their biodistribution. Albumin offers different sites for binding metallic compounds. Using a combination of spectropho-tometric and electrochemical techniques, the interaction between [Ru(phen)₃]Cl₂ (phen = phenantroline) and bovine serum albumin was evaluated. In particular, it was possible to calculate an apparent binding constant (Kb) of 4.4 × 103 (for concentrations expressed in M) for the main interaction site of the protein. A number of ca. 40 molecules of Ru-phen per molecule of BSA under saturation conditions, and a positive cooperative behavior towards association from the protein were found

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