The Centre for Environmental and Energy Technologies (CEET) welcomed another generation of promising young researchers. Pupils from the chemistry seminar at Albrechtice Primary School visited the CEET Institute of Environmental Technology, where they experienced the work of scientists and spent a morning carrying out hands-on experiments under expert supervision.
In the Air Protection Laboratory, Tereza Bílková introduced the pupils to the principles of catalytic gas cleaning. They then put theory into practice by observing the vigorous catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide using manganese dioxide. Another popular activity focused on adsorption, where pupils successfully removed the colour from red wine using activated carbon.
The second part of the programme, led by Petra Wojnarová, took pupils into the field of biochemistry. They first explored the principle of protein denaturation and then tested it themselves using egg white and various substances. The programme continued with the isolation of natural pigments, specifically beta-carotene from carrots and chlorophyll from dandelion leaves.
The visit once again confirmed the strong interest of primary schools in practical learning within an authentic scientific environment. We thank the pupils for their lovely visit and their proactive approach, and we hope they gained not only new knowledge but also inspiration for their future studies.