The Experimental Teaching Center of the College of Chemistry Published a Paper on Undergraduate Experimental Teaching in the Journal of Chemical Education
Recently, under the guidance of the Experimental Teaching Center of the College of Chemistry at Beijing Normal University, undergraduate students published a experimental teaching paper as the first authors in the Journal of Chemical Education (JCE), titled “An Undergraduate Comprehensive Experiment: Simple and Rapid Synthesis of Blue, Green, and Red Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots and Light-Emitting Diode Fabrication.”
Published by the American Chemical Society (ACS), JCE is a leading global journal in the field of chemical education. This publication marks a significant milestone as the first undergraduate chemistry experimental teaching paper from our university to appear in a top-tier international education journal.
The abstract of the paper is as follows:
The great discovery of quantum dots (QDs) paves the way for progress in next-generation display technology based on light-emitting diodes (LEDs). It is of exceeding necessity to introduce the concept of QDs into chemistry curricula as well as their LEDs application. Here we introduce carbon quantum dots (CQDs), a more eco-friendly alternative to heavy-metal semiconductor QDs, as a model to demonstrate LED fabrication of size-dependent CQDs in a teaching laboratory among upper-level undergraduate students. Blue, green, and red fluorescent CQDs with a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) were readily synthesized via a simple and rapid heating reaction at atmospheric pressure. Their size dependent properties would then be visible to the naked eye. Finally, the as-obtained CQDs combined with blue-LEDs strips to fabricate green, red, and white LEDs demonstrate display prospects, given their bright photoluminescence characteristics. This experiment provides students with a tangible understanding of several important concepts, such as quantum dots, quantum confinement effect, photoluminescence, and PLQY, as well as concepts related to display such as the red, green, and blue (RGB) primary colors, LEDs, and color converters. Additionally, this experiment involves different levels of knowledge such as material synthesis, characterization, and application, creating a truly interdisciplinary laboratory experience.
The first authors of the paper are Zhang Xuan and Qin Zirong, undergraduate students of the Class of 2023 from the College of Chemistry. The corresponding authors include Dr. Yuan Ting (postdoctoral fellow), as well as Professors Li Yunchao, Li Xiaohong, Wei Shuo, and Fan Louzhen from the College of Chemistry. The content of the paper was also selected as part of the “Chemistry 101 Program” for foundational chemistry experiments, and has been successfully implemented in summer and winter camp courses for middle school students, receiving wide acclaim.
Reference：
J. Chem. Educ. 2025, 102, 3, 1223–1229
