Adsorption of Phosphate on Goethite: An Undergraduate Research Laboratory Project

LORENA TRIBE; B.C. BARJA

JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION

Año: 2004 vol. 81 p. 1624 - 1628

0021-9584

Adsorption experiments are rarely included in undergraduate general chemistry laboratories, even though this phenomenon is of great importance from both applied and theoretical points of view. We present a laboratory experiment on the adsorption of phosphate on goethite (an iron oxide, á-FeOOH) as a case study that opens the doors to the discussion of surface properties, interfaces, acid–base equilibrium, molecular structure, and solid state chemistry, among other topics. We also describe a pedagogical implementation of this experiment that allows students to work cooperatively.á-FeOOH) as a case study that opens the doors to the discussion of surface properties, interfaces, acid–base equilibrium, molecular structure, and solid state chemistry, among other topics. We also describe a pedagogical implementation of this experiment that allows students to work cooperatively.