New Perspectives in Science Education

Reactions involving proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) steps are of enormous relevance for processes in biology and chemical industry. Furthermore, PCET is the key to enable and optimize the most important reactions for the transition to a sustainable future: Electrochemical nitrogen fixation and carbon dioxide reduction involves PCET and therefore its detailed understanding as well as the development of optimized catalysts (both heterogenous and homogenous) is the overarching goal of a proposed collaborative research center (CRC) based in Göttingen with participating institutions from all over Germany.
However, despite the relevance of PCET for processes that are already taught in school e.g., photosynthesis[1] and water electrolysis, the importance of coupled proton and electron transfer for these processes is rarely known and not explicitly mentioned. In this contribution, we will present our science outreach strategy to make basic principles as well as recent results from fundamental research on PCET more visible to the public. Our outreach measures include teaching materials and educational offers targeting both school students and the general public. They will consist of a “PCET portfolio” with curricular valid teaching materials ranging from fundamental concepts and tools (“How to read a pourbaix diagram?”) to adapted experiments and literature[2] closely related to the actual research (e.g., electrochemical functionalization of hydrocarbons[3]). Targeting the general public, we develop exhibitions for science museums and public events in a close collaboration with participating researchers. In addition, impressions from lab work, recent publications and the daily life of young researchers will be shared via social media.
Overall, apart from communicating scientific content and to transfer knowledge about PCET, we aim to strengthen the appreciation of fundamental research and to show how interdisciplinary and collaborative research works. The latter is predominantly targeting young people to help them in their vocational orientation and motivate them to become the scientists of tomorrow.

Keywords: Science Outreach, PCET, Science Exhibition

References:

[1] Mora, S. J., Odella, E., Moore, G. F., Gust, D., Moore, T. A., Moore, A. L. (2018). Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer in Artifical Photosynthesic Systems. Acc. Chem. Res., 51, 445-453
[2] Von Hoff, E., Aljets, H., Milsch, N., Waitz, T., Mey, I. (2019). Arbeiten mit Adaptierter Primärliteratur im Chemieunterricht. CHEMKON, 26, 190-195
[3] Nikl, J., Hofman, K., Mossazghi, S., Möller, I. C.,Mondeshki, D., Weinelt, F., Baumann, F.-E., Waldvogel, S. R. (2023). Electrochemical oxo-functionalization of cyclic alkanes and alkenes using nitrate and oxygen. Nat. Commun., 14, 4565