Peter presented three entertaining talks throughout the day on the essential properties of water, illustrated by a variety of explosive experiments that the audience were told not to try at home!

For the first time this year, over 100 alumni and their guests had reserved seating at the first lecture, followed by a buffet lunch. Many brought their children and grandchildren, and stayed to explore the other hands-on activities going on throughout the day in the department.

Teaching technicians Tom Wilkins and Sarah Mitchell did a fantastic job preparing and helping in their first demonstration lecture, ably supported by final year undergraduates Cherie-Anne Shi Xian Lee and Agustin Lorusso Notaro Francesco.

Scientists of all ages

Chemistry Open Day has a range of activities designed for different ages from young children to sixth formers to adults. Students and researchers in the department volunteer their own time to devise and host games and activities that are not only engaging but also convey important scientific principles in areas from sustainable materials, better batteries, DNA, and just fun chemistry stuff like making ice cream using liquid nitrogen.

A new fixture

Another first this year was the inspiring lectures by Professor Erwin Reisner on how his group is developing ways to harness sunlight to turn carbon dioxide, biomass and plastic waste into the chemical resources we will need for a carbon-zero economy. Erwin, who was recently awarded a prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies, will make these lectures a regular feature of Chemistry Open Day.

Open Day organiser Emma Powney says: “It’s great if we can spark an interest in chemistry in the younger generation: we want to open their eyes to the possibilities of science.”

This article first appeared in Chem@Cam magazine Summer 2024 Issue 68 pg 10.