Pre-service chemistry teachers’ conceptions of ionic liquids as ionic solvents on the cellulose dissolution process

Abstract

Abstract This study examines pre-service chemistry teachers’ understanding of concepts related to ionic liquids as cellulose solvents which include knowledge of cellulose, ionic compounds, and ionic liquids. This study used a descriptive method and involved 35 pre-service chemistry teachers from 6th semester who enrolled in the High School Chemistry unit. The research instruments of an open-ended questions which related to the concepts of ionic compounds, ionic liquids and cellulose. The results show that pre-service chemistry teachers have limited conceptions about of the concepts related to the dissolution of cellulose in ionic liquids. Based on the analysis of student answers to open-ended questions, students’ conceptions about definition of cellulose are quite good, but student have no sufficient knowledge about the structure and benefits of cellulose. Furthermore, students’ conceptions related to ionic compounds and ionic liquids are not good enough because student have not been able to mention the differences between ionic compounds and ionic liquids based on the structure, properties, and the constituent particles. This is because ionic liquids as cellulose solvents and the concepts related are not taught directly in the classroom so that it becomes an unfamiliar concept to student.