Heating is one of the most common and fundamental operations in chemical experiments. It is not only used for basic procedures such as dissolution, evaporation, drying, sterilization, and disinfection but also serves to accelerate reaction rates, promote chemical equilibrium shifts or phase transitions (e.g., sublimation), and regulate reaction conditions (e.g., temperature-dependent synthesis) or achieve separation and purification (e.g., distillation). With diverse heating methods (mainly including direct heating and indirect heating) and a wide variety of heating instruments, the ability to scientifically select appropriate heating methods and equipment based on specific experimental conditions, heating objects, purposes, scenarios, and requirements, and to operate them properly, is a basic quality for laboratory personnel. This proficiency is critical for ensuring safe, efficient experiments and obtaining scientifically valid results and reliable data. This article focuses on direct heating and the correct usage and precautions for common electrically powered laboratory heating devices, including electric furnace, electric heating plates, electric ceramic hot plates, electromagnetic heating stirrers and electric heating mantles. It aims to provide suggestions for students, instructors, and researchers engaged in chemical experimentation, teaching, and research.

Drying is a high-frequency fundamental operation in chemical experiments. Mastering the principles of drying chemical substances, selecting appropriate drying methods based on different substances’ characteristics and drying requirements, and performing drying operations correctly and standardly are essential basic knowledge and experimental skills that undergraduate students in chemistry and related fields must acquire. This article introduces the types, properties, and applicable ranges of commonly used desiccants in laboratories, the frequently-used drying methods and drying principles for chemical substances in different states, as well as the usage of common drying equipment including glass dryers, air-blast drying ovens, vacuum drying ovens, and freeze dryers. It also provides corresponding operational suggestions, aiming to serve as a reference for domestic peers in experimental teaching and scientific research practices.

The proper selection and use of laboratory water are fundamental to chemical experiments. Choosing the appropriate grade of laboratory water based on the specific requirements of different experiments is essential for ensuring the accuracy of data and the reliability of experimental results. However, the current terminology for laboratory water is extensive, encompassing not only tap water but also distilled water, deionized water, purified water, and ultrapure water, which poses certain confusion for users. To address this issue, this article systematically reviews the types, purification methods, and specifications of laboratory water, as well as water purity testing and the operational guidance for conductivity meters. Additionally, it provides detailed suggestions on the storage and usage of laboratory water. The aim of this article is to serve as a reference for laboratory teaching and research in universities, helping laboratory personnel scientifically select and use laboratory water to ensure a smooth experimental process.

Solid-liquid separation is a fundamental operation in chemical synthesis, separation, and purification processes. Common methods for this purpose include decantation, centrifugation and filtration, with their selection criteria primarily based on solid particle size, solid content and liquid viscosity. This paper systematically elucidates the principles and applicability of sedimentation-based techniques, specifically decantation and centrifugation. It further details operational protocols and essential safety precautions associated with these methods, while establishing standardized procedures for these techniques. The work ultimately aims to serve as a practical reference for laboratory teaching practices.

Heating is one of the most fundamental operations in chemical experiments. Proficiency in using various heating tools and controlling temperature is an essential experimental skill that undergraduate students majoring in chemistry must master. This manual provides fundamental operational guidelines and standardized recommendations for various heating tools and methods, aiming to serve as a reference for domestic educators and researchers in conducting experimental teaching and scientific practices. Alcohol lamps and alcohol blast burners are critical traditional heating tools in laboratories, and their standardized operation directly impacts experimental safety and success. Based on teaching and research experience, this article systematically elaborates on the structural principles, operational procedures, safety risks, and emergency protocols for alcohol lamps and blast burners, with a focus on standardizing key steps such as ignition, flame adjustment, heating, and flame extinguishing. By integrating teaching cases, it clarifies common misuse practices and improvement strategies in instrument utilization, ultimately aiming to enhance experimental safety and promote standardized pedagogical practices.

In chemical experiments, heating serves as a fundamental method to regulate reaction rates, achieve substance transformation, and facilitate separation and purification. It is widely applied in chemical synthesis, sample processing, material processing, and other procedures. As an essential heating approach, indirect heating also requires rational selection and standardized operation based on experimental requirements and safety considerations. This article focuses on the proper use and precautions for indirect heating and common thermal baths (water bath, oil bath, metal bath, sand bath) in laboratories, aiming to provide suggestions for students, teachers, and researchers engaged in chemical experimentation, teaching, and research.

Thousands of chemical reagents are used in the laboratory. It is important for laboratory workers to obtain the necessary information of chemical reagents and know well how to handle and dispose them. This article first outlines chemical reagent specifications along with general storage and management requirements. It then provides operating procedures and safety precautions for commonly used chemical reagents based on teaching practices. The article aims to provide practical reference for educators and students engaged in experimental teaching and scientific research.

Gas preparation and application are important components of basic chemical experiments, which contains rich chemical experimental knowledge, basic operational skills, scientific thinking and literacy such as chemical principles understanding, device construction, condition optimization, airtightness testing, impurity removal, drying, waste gas disposal, safety risk assessment, and so on. This article focuses on the preparation and purifying of laboratory gases, and proposes standardized operational suggestions for each stage of gas preparation process, thus providing operation suggestions for basic chemistry experimental teaching and practice in middle schools and universities.

Solid-liquid separation is a fundamental operation in chemical synthesis, separation, and purification processes. Common methods for this purpose include decantation, centrifugation, and filtration, with their selection criteria primarily based on solid particle size, solid content, and liquid viscosity. Focusing specifically on filtration techniques, this paper systematically introduces the principles and applicability of gravity filtration and vacuum filtration, details operational procedures and essential safety precautions, and establishes standardized protocols for these techniques. The work ultimately aims to serve as a practical reference for laboratory teaching practices.

The teaching objectives of fundamental chemistry experiment with focus on the teaching of factual, conceptual, skill-based, and methodological knowledge are theoretically defined. The learning and training of fundamental experimental concepts, principles and skills so as to promote students' comprehensive experimental operation capabilities are emphasized by the reinforcing methodological knowledge instruction. Furthermore, the cultivation of normalized and rigorous experimental habits, realistic and pragmatic scientific attitude, and perseverance as the core content of the ideological and political education are suggested. Accordingly, the approaches, methods, and suggestions for effectiveness assessment of integrating ideological and political education into fundamental chemistry experiment are established. This work offers a valuable reference for enhancing fundamental chemistry experiment teaching, improving teaching quality, and boosting talent cultivation capacity.

To address the prevalent issue in analytical chemistry laboratory instruction that overemphasizes result compliance while neglecting procedural standardization, our teaching team implemented a teaching practice incorporating standardization principles into the curriculum. At the content level, we developed unified teaching protocols specifying key concepts, instructional logic, and operational standards. The practical implementation features an immersive “virtual simulation + student self-assessment” hybrid model, effectively transitioning students from passive imitation to active standardization compliance. Pre-laboratory pilot studies were conducted to mitigate potential instructional risks, accompanied by established evaluation metrics. Our assessment framework emphasizes process-oriented evaluation, with detailed scoring rubrics for both operational procedures and data quality to reinforce standardization throughout the experimental workflow. This pedagogical practice has demonstrated significant improvements in students' operational standardization and data reliability, while enhancing overall instructional quality in analytical chemistry laboratories, offering valuable insights for experimental course reform.

Hypothesis testing serves as a fundamental component in analytical chemistry education for developing students' data processing skills and statistical reasoning. However, current textbooks predominantly emphasize independent two-sample t-tests while providing inadequate systematic coverage of paired t-tests. This pedagogical gap often leads to students' inappropriate application of statistical methods when analyzing grouped data, ultimately affecting their judgment of analytical result reliability. Using the classic environmental analysis case of comparing chloride concentrations between surface and bottom lake water, this study systematically contrasts the principles, application conditions, and computational procedures of independent versus paired t-tests. By clarifying their fundamental statistical differences and selection criteria, we aim to address this common deficiency in teaching materials. The case study facilitates students' accurate understanding and proper differentiation of these test applications while strengthening their scientific decision-making skills. This teaching resource can be effectively incorporated into classroom instruction, supplementary materials, or laboratory preparation to support subsequent specialized study and research training.

Heating is a fundamental and ubiquitous operation in chemical laboratory practices. This article systematically outlines the proper utilization protocols and safety precautions for three key microwave-based heating devices: microwave ovens, microwave reactors, and microwave digestion instruments. The content is designed to serve as a practical reference for students, educators, and researchers engaged in chemical experimentation, teaching, and scientific investigation.

Laboratory apparatus are essential tools in chemistry experiments. The appropriate selection of laboratory apparatus, along with their cleanliness and dryness, plays a critical role in ensuring experimental safety, enhancing operational efficiency, and improving the repeatability and accuracy of experimental results. A clear understanding of, and proficiency in, the cleaning and drying of laboratory apparatus are fundamental experimental skills that students majoring in chemistry must develop. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the classification, cleaning and drying of common laboratory apparatus, offers some related standard operating procedures and emphasizes some relevant precautions.

Dissolution, crystallization and crystal cultivation are fundamental operations in the experiments of solution preparation, chemical synthesis, separation and purification. These are essential techniques for students in chemistry-related majors. This paper introduces the methods of these operations, outlines the related operation standards, and emphasizes the key precautions based on some practical cases.

Hydrothermal and solvothermal synthesis are crucial synthetic techniques, holding particular significance in crystal synthesis and nanomaterial preparation. Conducting hydrothermal-solvothermal synthesis in a standardized manner can enhance the success rate of chemical synthesis, reduce the waste of reagents, prolong the service life of equipment, and lower the risk of accidents. This article mainly introduces the most commonly used external heating autoclave in laboratories, the principles and applicable objects of hydrothermal reactions below 260 °C, as well as the basic operation points and precautions. It also proposes basic operation norms for hydrothermal synthesis to provide a reference for colleagues conducting experimental teaching.

High-temperature solid-state synthesis is an important method for preparing inorganic materials, while the standardized operation of high-temperature furnaces, such as muffle furnaces and tube furnaces, directly affects experimental safety, efficiency and the reliability of results. This article introduces the characteristics of high-temperature solid-state synthesis, along with the detailed operation standards for muffle furnaces and tube furnaces. We aim to provide a reference for relevant experimental teaching and research, assisting laboratory personnel in conducting high-temperature heating experiments safely and efficiently, and improving process controllability, data accuracy and equipment service life.

Spectrophotometry is a spectroscopic analytical method based on the selective absorption of electromagnetic radiation of ultraviolet, visible, and other electromagnetic radiation by substances, used for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. It is characterized by operational simplicity, high sensitivity, rapid measurement, and wide applicability. The spectrophotometer is the instrument used to perform this method, and its proper operation is an essential experimental skill for students majoring in chemistry and related disciplines. This article mainly introduces the fundamental principles of ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry (commonly referred to simply as spectrophotometry) and the operation of spectrophotometer, and provides suggestions on operating specifications.

In order to promote the full implementation of the National Standards for Undergraduate Teaching Quality of Chemistry Majors and the relevant requirements proposed by the Ministry of Education's Instructional Committee for Chemistry Majors, advance the teaching reform and development of the Chemical Engineering Principles Laboratory, implement the student-centered and outcome-based education philosophy, and enhance the innovativeness, advancement, and challenge level of the laboratory teaching, this suggestion clarifies the teaching objectives and related instructional requirements for the Chemical Engineering Principles Laboratory in chemistry-related majors. Based on some typical examples, the knowledge, skill, and competency goals of the experiment teaching are specified. This suggestion is intended to provide guidance for the future reform and development of the Chemical Engineering Principles Laboratory.

The significant role of establishing systematic requirements and operation norms for chemistry laboratory teaching in strengthening the implementation of National Standards of Higher Chemistry Education and Suggestions proposed by Instructional Committee of Higher Chemistry Education, Ministry of Education is revealed. The progress of chemistry laboratory teaching requirements and operation norms for chemistry-related majors is summarized with focus on systematic explanation of the construction ideas, systems, and objectives. The achievements in promoting the standardization, normalization, and characteristic development of chemistry laboratory teaching through related construction are illustrated. The significance of building systematic professional construction standards for the internationalization of Chinese standards and the construction of an educational superpower is clarified. The key tasks for the future, including strengthening the implementation of these standards, promoting digital and intelligent construction, and advancing the in-depth development of the “101 Plan” in chemistry is also discussed.

In order to implement the National Standards for Undergraduate Teaching Quality in Chemistry Majors and the relevant requirements proposed by the Instructional Committee of Higher Chemistry Education, the Ministry of Education, this suggestion is proposed. The aim of this suggestion is to promote the reform and construction of organic chemistry laboratory based on the idea of student-centeredness and outcome-based education, so as to enhance the innovation, high-level, and challenging nature of organic chemistry laboratory teaching. The teaching objectives and relevant teaching requirements for organic chemistry laboratory in chemistry-related majors are clarified. And the knowledge, ability, and quality objectives of organic chemistry laboratory are specified. It is of guiding significance for the reform and construction of organic chemistry laboratory.

Practicum courses are a vital component of practical teaching in chemistry majors. Due to its direct confrontation with real-world production, it is not only an important course for cultivating students' integration of theory and practice and engineering literacy, but also a natural carrier for carrying out ideological and political education such as patriotism, mission responsibility, craftsmanship spirit, professional ideals, and professional ethics. Taking the professional practice course as an example, the goals and requirements of ideology and politics education are clarified, and suggestions on designing, implementing, and assessment of its teaching content are provided. It is of certain reference value for promoting the ideological and political teaching reform of professional practice course for chemistry majors.

To implement the National Teaching Standard for Undergraduate Teaching Quality of Chemistry Majors and relevant requirements proposed by the Instructional Committee of Higher Chemistry Education, the Ministry of Education, suggestions on analytical chemistry laboratory teaching are proposed. The teaching goals, contents of the overall and definite analytical chemistry experiment and relevant teaching requirements are defined so as to promote the reform and construction of analytical chemistry (including instrumental analysis) experiments. The knowledge, ability, and quality objectives of analytical chemistry experiments are specified. It is of guiding significance for the further reform and construction of analytical chemistry laboratory.

Based on the strategic development requirements of digital-intelligent education in the new era, combined with the core function of practical education in chemistry discipline, this paper addresses the existing problems in the construction of chemistry laboratories in current institutions of higher education, such as scattered digital-intelligent resources, insufficient integration of virtual and real experiments, low management efficiency, and weak safety control. It clarifies the core objectives and positioning of the digital-intelligent construction of chemistry laboratories, and puts forward systematic construction suggestions and implementation plans from the aspects of digital-intelligent teaching resource construction, intelligent equipment upgrading, AI-enabled safety and teaching management, construction implementation paths, and effectiveness assessment. A digital-intelligent construction system for chemistry laboratories characterized by “co-construction of resources, open sharing of achievements, integration of online and offline, combination of virtual and real, intelligent empowerment, and innovation and entrepreneurship practice education” has been constructed, which provides theoretical reference and practical basis for the digital-intelligent transformation and upgrading of chemistry laboratories in universities across the country, as well as the improvement of experimental teaching quality and talent training capacity.

Modern Instrumental Analysis Experiment is a core course designed for graduate students in chemistry and related fields to cultivate scientific thinking and advanced experimental skills. The quality of its instruction directly affects the reliability of students' research data and the development of their professional competence. To address current teaching issues such as inadequate normative awareness, lack of data traceability, and insufficient standardization in practice, this paper proposes a reform approach that fully integrates the philosophy of qualification certification into teaching practice, based on the experience of the Certified Laboratories at Nankai University. To address this, we introduced a reform package featuring several interconnected measures: the compilation of standardized teaching materials, the comprehensive integration of the six essential certification elements (personnel, equipment, materials, methods, environment, and measurement), the establishment of a three-level traceability mechanism covering all experimental phases, and a tripartite evaluation system centered on norm awareness, operational skill, and data quality. These initiatives collectively enhance students' standard awareness and compliance literacy, presenting a replicable model for advancing standardization in chemical experiment instruction.