Porous Materials: Synthesis and Applications Discovered Through Inquiry

In this paper a new five week laboratory activity is described for advanced undergraduate chemistry students. The overall goals and individual activity choices were selected to help prepare students for independent research projects they may encounter in their future careers as chemists in academia or industry. We modeled most of the course after inquiry based science experiences that were developed in the Professional Development Program. One of the main goals of the activity was to provide students with an opportunity to manage and design a research project involved in porous inorganic materials that was inspired by their own interest in the subject.