Microscale chemistry

There are several good reasons for using microscale apparatus and doing reactions on the millimolar scale or less - health hazards are virtually eliminated, the reactions are quicker, cheaper and there is less waste and less mess to clear up.¹ From my own point of view I also see it as a way of making practical work more accessible to more students. Moreover, each student can work individually, which encourages them to be independent and take ownership of their work. Since we acquired class sets of microscale apparatus - Combostills, Comboplates, and microburettes and micropipettes - I have used this approach with KS3, KS4, AS and A2 students. In this article I want to give you an idea of the range of practicals that can be done using this approach.