Nanochemistry is an important aspect
of modern chemical science.
Though few educational institutions teach nanochemistry as a formal
course, general exposure of students to nanoscience is yet important.
Thus, we present a nanochemical activity that could be used as part
of many chemistry courses or laboratories based on ChemToy2. This
activity is judged to be fun and enjoyable by students and is conducted
over a one-week observation period. During this time, gold and silver
nanochemistry results in 45 fundamental states or changes in the five
observed solutions. Possible observations include a myriad of colors
centered on purples and greens, photochemistry, the common states
of matter, the Tyndall effect, surface-wetting phenomena, detergent
action, gradients, and discontinuity. Each student’s power
of observation can be scored at the end of the observation period,
and discussions and further activities based upon their findings can
proceed. We provide nanochemical results on ChemToy2 to support these
activities; data include localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR),
optical light scattering, dynamic light scattering (DLS), nanoparticle-synthesis
growth maps, and results of testing by 114 undergraduate students.