Resumen de Have Biofuel, Will Travel: A Colorful Experiment and a Different Approach To Teach the Undergraduate Laboratory
Omar A. El Seoud, Carina Loffredo, Paula D. Galgano, Bruno M. Sato, Christian Reichardt
The substitution of petroleum-based fuels with those from renewable sources has gained momentum worldwide. A UV–vis experiment for the quantitative analysis of biofuels (bioethanol or biodiesel) in (petroleum-based) diesel oil has been developed. Before the experiment, students were given a quiz on biofuels, and then they were asked to suggest a suitable UV–vis experiment for the quantification of biofuels in diesel oil. After discussing the results of the quiz, the experiment was conducted. This included the determination of λmax of the medium-dependent, that is, solvatochromic, visible absorption band of the probe 2,6-bis[4-(tert-butyl)phenyl]-4-{2,4,6-tris[4-(tert-butyl)phenyl]pyridinium-1-yl}phenolate as a function of fuel composition. The students appreciated that the subject was linked to a daily situation and that they were asked to suggest the experiment. This experiment served to introduce the phenomena of solvation and solvatochromism.
