An Introduction to Scanning Electron Microscopy and Science Communication Skills for Undergraduate Chemistry Students

Despite the growing importance of nanomaterials in numerousindustries,most undergraduate chemistry students are unlikely to encounter characterizationtechniques common in the field during their education. Scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM) is a common technique for materials characterizationwidely used in careers chemistry students are likely to pursue. However,this technique, and others like it, are virtually inaccessible toundergraduate students. In this activity, we used an SEM simulatorin a Physical Chemistry lab activity to familiarize students withthe technique. As the calls for more effective communication skillsamong chemistry graduates increase, we used a framework for effectiveSciComm to teach students to interpret the SEM images. To presentthe images they generated and demonstrate their understanding of SEMand how it works, students created products based on scenarios withdifferent audiences, purposes, and formats. This type of activitycould be used to make typically inaccessible techniques accessibleto undergraduates and offer an opportunity for students to practicetheir SciComm skills.