Development and Application of a Virtual Laboratory for Synthesizing and Analyzing Nanogold Particles

In this study, a virtual laboratory for synthesizing and analyzing nanogold particles is developed by using the virtual reality technology and situated learning theory. The users can conduct a virtual experiment to become familiar with the process of synthesizing nanogold and understand that nanogold particles in different sizes can be produced by mixing chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) with sodium citrate (Na3C6H5O7) in different concentrations. A further analysis can be performed by observing the 3D structure of nanogold using the virtual transmission electron microscope to investigate its property within the nanoscale spatial domain. The virtual laboratory developed in this study has been applied in university chemistry courses and the learning objective is to increase students' knowledge in nanotechnology through the operation of virtual experiments. A teaching experiment has been conducted to investigate whether the virtual experiment can enhance their learning achievements, and the results show that it is more effective than a real experiment. Questionnaire results also reveal that most students held positive attitudes towards the virtual laboratory, and they thought it could enhance their interest and motivation in learning nanotechnology.