Motivating and Supporting Undergraduate Research through Green Chemistry: Experiences at a Small Liberal Arts University

Although most instructors and institutions agree on its value, undergraduate research remains an underutilized pedagogical tool because it requires ample time, funding, and equipment. Various institutions feel these pressures differently, but for many small institutions, lack of laboratory equipment and financial support can hinder undergraduate research projects. However, these institutions have much to gain from undergraduate research, especially as it offers benefits not only for students but also for faculty. For small institutions, although the principle applies to larger institutions as well, green chemistry offers a promising way forward: undergraduate research projects focusing on green chemistry have all the benefits of other undergraduate research projects but can be undertaken with minimal infrastructure and reduced cost. As an added benefit, they can help to reinforce the values of safety and sustainability for future chemists. This paper offers an example of a successful undergraduate research project in chemistry in a small liberal arts university and demonstrates how a project in green chemistry can make research-based learning feasible even in institutions with limited resources. Specifically, this project focuses on the development of a bioinspired, environmentally friendly wound-care product derived from chitosan and two naturally occurring aldehydes, citronellal and cinnamaldehyde. In this project, the student researcher prepared two chitosan Schiff bases using citronellal and cinnamaldehyde and then characterized and evaluated the antimicrobial properties of these products. Results suggest that both Schiff bases are highly bioactive and could indeed have value in wound-care. This project has scientific benefit, of course, but it also has pedagogical merits, showing how green chemistry can enable institutions to offer valuable undergraduate research opportunities with limited funding and infrastructure. This paper concludes with suggestions for related (and feasible) undergraduate research projects in green chemistry.