A Simplified Extractive Metallurgy Exercise to Demonstrate Selective Extraction of Copper

A Simplified Extractive Metallurgy Exercise to Demonstrate Selective Extraction of Copper

A laboratory activity is described for senior high school or first year undergraduate level students that illustrates key concepts linked to extractive metallurgy. This experiment demonstrates preferential binding of a methoxyphenolic oxime ligand to Cu2+ in the presence of other transition metal io...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of chemical education Vol. 97; no. 4; pp. 1203 - 1207
Main Authors: Smellie, Iain A, Abdelhamid, Yusra, Carpenter-Warren, Cameron L, Cordes, David B, Elliott, Clement, Lamorte, Sarah, Patterson, Iain L. J, Sanders, William, Sandison, Iain P, Slawin, Alexandra M. Z, Stewart, Dominic M, Walters, Samuel N
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Easton American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc 14-04-2020
Division of Chemical Education, Inc
American Chemical Society
Subjects:
Aqueous solutions
Binding
College Science
College students
Copper
Extractive metallurgy
High Schools
Laboratory Experiments
Ligands
Metallurgy
Phenols
Science activities
Science education
Science Experiments
Science Instruction
Science Laboratories
Scientific Concepts
Secondary School Science
Secondary school students
Students
Transition metals
Undergraduate Study
First-Year Undergraduate/General
Hands-On Learning/Manipulatives
Coordination Compounds
Applications of Chemistry
Laboratory Instruction
Qualitative Analysis
UV−Vis Spectroscopy
Interdisciplinary/Multidisciplinary
High School/Introductory Chemistry
Problem Solving/Decision Making
Metallurgy
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:A laboratory activity is described for senior high school or first year undergraduate level students that illustrates key concepts linked to extractive metallurgy. This experiment demonstrates preferential binding of a methoxyphenolic oxime ligand to Cu2+ in the presence of other transition metal ions in aqueous solution. The students are tasked to investigate the importance of the spatial relationship between the oxime and phenol group of two potential ligands by performing a series of short and simple tests. The objective is achieved by identifying which methoxyphenolic oxime ligand selectively and rapidly forms an isolable precipitate with Cu2+ ions. Only one of the potential ligands exhibits a clear preference for binding to Cu2+, and this can easily be identified visually (and confirmed by UV–visible spectroscopy if desired). The experiment has successfully been employed as part of an extracurricular laboratory course involving groups of 25–30 high school students.
ISSN:0021-9584
1938-1328
DOI:10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00996