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The challenge in chemistry courses for nonscience majors (such as nursing majors) is not that the students cannot learn chemistry but that they think they cannot learn chemistry. With this in mind, the authors’ goal was to create a learning environment in which students would feel motivated to learn and would gain confidence in their ability to learn chemistry. In the one-semester chemistry courses for nursing majors described here, health-related scenarios (such as IV therapy, diabetes, blood chemistry, and brachytherapy) provide context, and POGIL activities provide process and content in a cooperative learning environment. In addition, strategic organization and alignment of learning outcomes helps students to focus on the concepts, principles, and theories that they are expected to learn in a meaningful way. Also essential for the success of this course is a caring yet rigorous instructor who effectively communicates that learning chemistry is difficult but doable. This combination of health-related scenarios, POGIL activities, clear learning outcomes, and a supportive instructor gives students hope that they will succeed in their introductory chemistry course and increases their self-concept in chemistry. Chemistry Self-Concept Inventory data collected during 10 semesters at two different universities show a significant positive increase in our students’ chemistry self-concept. Furthermore, Student Assessment of their Learning Gains data collected during the same time period show that students find this learning environment conducive to learning.

The ionomer poly(vinylbenzyltrimethylammonium chloride) has been blended with cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) to form optically clear composites that can be covalently linked as thin films to oxide surfaces. Films are characterized using spectroscopic ellipsometry with refractive index (n) and extinction coefficient (k) data presented for wavelengths 300 to 1100 nm. A refractive index of 1.54 and average thickness of 709 nm are typical of an air dry film prepared by spin-coating. Dynamic in situ ellipsometry results for films exposed to 0.1 M KNO(3) and 1.0 mM Fe(CN)(6)(-3) are presented. Upon initial exposure to 0.1 M KNO(3), an air dry film expands by about 160% and stabilizes in size and refractive index at about 18 hours. Ion exchange of film cationic groups with ferricyanide is marked by slight film contraction, presumably due to electrostatic cross-linking by the multivalent anion. These films are useful in the spectroelectrochemical sensor with our newly developed fluorescence detection mode, as demonstrated by results of the reversible incorporation of the fluorescent anion fluorescein.

ABTS, 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate), a colorless dianion that forms a colored radical upon oxidation, was characterized with electrochemistry and spectroscopy and demonstrated to be a detectable analyte in a polymer-modified spectroelectrochemical sensor. Three positively charged polymers were incorporated into a thin film on an indium tin oxide (ITO) optically transparent electrode and used to concentrate ABTS at the electrode surface. Of the three films, poly(vinylbenzyl trimethyl ammonium chloride)-poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVTAC-PVA), poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride)-silica (PDMDAAC-SiO 2 ), and quaternized poly(4-vinyl-N-methylpyridinium nitrate)-silica (QPVP-SiO 2 ), PVTAC-PVA demonstrated the best ability to absorb ABTS. Within 20 min, a change of 0.2 absorbance units at 417 nm and 13.6 mA/cm 2 in anodic peak current density in cyclic voltammetry at a scan rate of 0.025 V/s were observed.

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