CHED 1816 |
| Invisible ink is a subject that is fascinating to children and adults alike. The allure of being able to write messages which are readable only by those with special detection methods is quite appealing. Although such secret communication has been used throughout history, few methods beyond fluorescent ink or organic compound exposed to heat are known outside of national intelligence communities. After the fall of the Berlin wall and the reunification of Germany, many once secret files from the East German secret police became available. These files included one describing a method of invisible ink, which we used as the basis for developing a college level laboratory. We will present this creative use of chemistry and discuss the laboratory that we have created based upon it. This laboratory includes many different general chemistry concepts including catalysis, acid/base chemistry, redox chemistry, buffers, kinetics and more. |
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General Papers
1:00 PM-4:50 PM, Thursday, March 29, 2007 McCormick Place North -- Room N230A, Level 2, Oral
Division of Chemical Education |