Research was conducted on the role of brown algae as a capping agent in the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles, the characteristics of ZnO nanoparticles, and the effect of the addition of ZnO nanoparticles and/or silane compounds on antibacterial and antifungal activities. The synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles involved green synthesis, and then nanoparticles were characterized using UV/VIS/NIR, ATR-FTIR, XRD, PSA, and SEM-EDS, followed by the in situ deposition of ZnO nanoparticles on cotton fabrics and the addition of silane compounds. The characterization of modified and unmodified cotton fabrics and antibacterial and antifungal activity tests were carried out using the disc diffusion method through measurements of the diameter of the inhibition zone against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Malassezia furfur. The characterization of ZnO nanoparticles showed absorption at a wavelength of 357 nm; the number of waves was 450 cm⁻¹; the diffraction peak occurred at an angle of 36.14°; the crystal size was 15.35 nm; there was a heterogeneous particle distribution; the particle size was in the ranges of 1.74–706 nm (PSA) and 45–297 nm (SEM); and an irregular particle shape was noted. The results showed that the best antibacterial and antifungal activity was obtained in cotton + HDTMS + ZnO nanoparticles (K8) and cotton + ZnO nanoparticles+HDTMS/MTMS (K4).

This review explores the integration of Project-based Learning (PjBL) and Virtual/Augmented Reality (VR/AR) in chemistry education. By synthesizing findings from eight peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025, selected through a systematic search using the Dimensions.ai database with specific inclusion criteria, the review highlights how immersive technologies enhance conceptual understanding, motivation, and engagement in student-centered learning environments. Data were collected using a structured literature search, and the findings were analyzed through thematic synthesis based on educational level, technology used, implementation strategies, and reported outcomes. The review reveals that VR/AR, when effectively embedded in PjBL frameworks, allows learners to simulate experiments, visualize abstract molecular structures, and collaborate in meaningful, inquiry-driven projects. However, challenges remain, including limited access to technology, pedagogical integration issues, and educator resistance. The review concludes with recommendations for future research, emphasizing the need for teacher training, inclusive design, and long-term evaluation of immersive PjBL in chemistry education.

Research to study the role of brown algae Padina sp. as a capping agent in the synthesis ZnO nanoparticles, characteristics of ZnO nanoparticles, and the effect of cotton fabric modification through the addition of ZnO nanoparticles and/or silane compounds on antibacterial and antifungal activities has been conducted. The synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles uses green synthesis and then characterization using UV/VIS/NIR, ATR-FTIR, XRD, PSA, and SEM-EDS. In-situ depositing of ZnO nanoparticles on cotton fabrics and addition of silane compounds. Characterization of modified and unmodified cotton fabrics to determine the antibacterial and antifungal activity tests were carried out by disc diffusion method through measurement of the diameter of the inhibition zone against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Malassezia furfur bacteria. Characterization of ZnO nanoparticles shows absorption at a wavelength of 357 nm; the number of waves is 450 cm-1; The peak of diffraction is at an angle of 36.14; Crystal size of 15.35 nm; Distribution of heterogeneous particles; Particle size in the range of 1.74-706 nm (PSA) and 45-297 nm (SEM); irregular particle shape. The results of the best antibacterial and antifungal activity in cotton+HDTMS+ZnO nanoparticles (K8) and cotton + ZnO nanoparticles+HDTMS/MTMS (K4).

This study examines the effectiveness of authentic, scaffolded learning implemented through a digitally supported project-based approach in enhancing pre-service chemistry teachers’ practical skills and self-efficacy within a cosmetic chemistry course. While project-based learning and digital tools are widely used, limited research has explored how their integration operates within domain-specific, applied contexts. Cosmetic chemistry, as a product-oriented and constraint-driven domain, offers distinct pedagogical potential for such integration. A quasi-experimental post-test-only control group design was conducted with 63 pre-service teachers. The experimental group engaged with a digitally scaffolded PjBL e-module, while the control group received conventional instruction. Practical skills were assessed through structured performance observation, and self-efficacy was measured using a validated Likert-scale questionnaire ( r = 0.585–0.712; Cronbach's α = 0.852). Independent samples t -tests revealed significant differences in both practical skills and self-efficacy ( p < 0.001), with large effect sizes ( d = 1.24 and 1.35, respectively). The findings indicate that the intervention supported not only procedural performance but also evaluative and decision-making aspects of laboratory competence, alongside increased confidence in task execution. Importantly, the results demonstrate that cosmetic chemistry functions as a pedagogical domain that actively shapes learning through its product-oriented and constraint-based characteristics. This underscores the importance of aligning pedagogy, scaffolding, and domain-specific context in designing effective chemistry learning environments.

This study aimed to develop and validate a short-form instrument for assessing students’ learning independence in chemistry education among senior high school students using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). A quantitative survey was conducted involving 131 twelfth-grade science students from two public senior high schools in Sleman Regency, Indonesia, selected through random sampling. Data were collected using a 40-item questionnaire measured on a five-point Likert scale, with the items designed to assess students’ independence in managing, engaging in, and taking responsibility for their chemistry learning, and analyzed using EFA and CFA. The EFA, conducted using JASP version 0.95.4, identified a four-factor structure consisting of self-management, motivation, responsibility, and self-confidence and reduced the initial instrument to 34 items with factor loadings above 0.40. Subsequent CFA further refined the instrument into a parsimonious 14-item version with standardized factor loadings exceeding 0.50, indicating acceptable construct validity. Reliability analysis demonstrated acceptable construct reliability (CR > 0.60, ranging from 0.64 to 0.78). The average variance extracted (AVE) values ranged from 0.41 to 0.49, with self-management, motivation, and responsibility each obtaining an AVE value of 0.41, while self-confidence reached 0.49. Although these AVE values indicated marginal convergent validity, the constructs remained acceptable when evaluated alongside their adequate CR values. The findings suggest that the final 14-item instrument provides acceptable psychometric evidence and offers an empirically supported measure for assessing senior high school students’ learning independence in chemistry education, although further validation in broader chemistry-learning populations and educational settings is recommended

Undergraduate chemistry programmes increasingly need to develop professional competencies such as problem-solving, technical communication, and collaboration alongside disciplinary knowledge, yet conventional verification-based laboratory instruction rarely develops these competencies together. This study investigated whether an immersive learning environment built around authentic, iterative formulation troubleshooting was associated with differences in four professional-competency outcomes—problem-solving, technical project writing, oral presentation, and collaborative attitude—in an undergraduate Cosmetic Chemistry course. A quasi-experimental, non-equivalent comparison-group design involved 47 chemistry students in two intact classes (immersive condition, n = 25; comparison condition, n = 22). Because each condition was represented by a single intact class and assignment was non-random, pre-existing differences between classes cannot be excluded as an alternative explanation for the observed between-group differences. Outcomes were post-intervention problem-solving, technical project writing, oral presentation, and collaborative attitude, treated as related professional competency domains, with pre-intervention collaborative attitude as a covariate. Researcher-developed instruments showed acceptable-to-strong validity and reliability evidence. In the primary reduced-model MANCOVA, instructional condition was associated with a significant multivariate difference across the four outcomes (Pillai’s Trace = 0.945, F(4, 41) = 174.88, p < 0.001), and follow-up ANCOVAs indicated higher adjusted scores in the immersive condition across all four outcomes (all p < 0.001). Because the two conditions differed in several coordinated features besides virtual reality, the findings concern the integrated instructional package rather than an isolated virtual reality effect. Given the small, non-randomized, single-institution sample, the results should be read as preliminary evidence from an exploratory comparison of two intact classes rather than as causal evidence of instructional effectiveness.