pubs.acs.

org/jchemeduc Communication

Titrate over the Internet: An Open-Source Remote-Control Titration

Unit for All Students
Ronald Soong,* Amy Jenne, Daniel H. Lysak, Rajshree Ghosh Biswas, Antonio Adamo, Kris S. Kim,
and Andre Simpson
Cite This: J. Chem. Educ. 2021, 98, 1037−1042 Read Online

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ABSTRACT: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing restrictions are in place in
Downloaded via UNIV FED DA PARAIBA on January 20, 2022 at 13:23:16 (UTC).

most public settings, and the undergraduate laboratory is no exception. In order to

accommodate social distancing requirements, many laboratory exercises are being
redeployed in an online format, which deprives students of experiential learning
opportunities in a real laboratory setting. To bridge this experiential learning gap for online
laboratory exercises, an open-source remote titration unit was created. This remote titration
unit is based on a simple Raspberry Pi architecture equipped with a webcam and a servo (a
small motor allowing fine control of angular position), allowing students to control the
titration unit over the Internet with visual feedback of approximately a 0.5 s delay.
Understanding that titrations are taught across all levels of chemistry, from high school to the
postsecondary level, they are considered fundamental laboratory methods in analytical
chemistry. In fact, titrations are the first analytical chemistry technique introduced to
students, and the method holds a significant place in the chemistry curriculum. In response to the recent emphasis on virtual lab
platforms due to COVID-19, the chemistry laboratory will need to evolve accordingly. The remote-control titration unit described
here is an exemplar, showing that elements of experiential learning can be retained for online laboratory activities, and allows for the
possibility of distanced learning that includes a meaningful laboratory component.
KEYWORDS: First-Year Undergraduate/General, Laboratory Equipment/Apparatus, Analytical Chemistry,
Collaborative/Cooperative Learning, Laboratory Computing/Interfacing

■ INTRODUCTION
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing restrictions
are currently in place for most public settings, including
undergraduate laboratories.1−4 Due to the cancellation of in-
person classes, many chemistry courses are being restructured
for online learning, creating a unique opportunity for new
pedagogical approaches to online chemical education.5 Unlike
other subjects, chemistry courses are often structured with
crucially important practical components, which allow students
the opportunity for experiential learning in the laboratory.3−5
However, implementing an online practical component in a
meaningful way is challenging. To avoid depriving students of
this fundamental aspect of chemical education, new strategies
will need to be considered.
Over the years, titration laboratory setups have been created
such that students can titrate in a virtual environment.6,7
Importantly, virtual laboratories can address some aspects of
experiential learning.8−10 However, this is no substitute for real
titration experience, which includes (1) observing transient
color changes as well as (2) fluctuations of pH values between
additions of titrant, (3) training fine-motor skills of turning the
stopcock as end points are approached, and (4) careful reading
of the meniscus on a burette.6,7,11 Therefore, an innovative
approach is required to bridge this experiential learning gap for
© 2021 American Chemical Society and
Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
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distanced chemical education and complement the current
offerings of virtual experiments. The use of open-source
technology to automate common laboratory equipment, such
as a burette, has shown tremendous success.12−17 However, the
ability to remotely control a burette that allows students to
titrate from anywhere with Internet access remains to be
investigated. In this communication, we present a remote-
control titration setup as an exemplar of distanced chemical
education with laboratory experiential learning objectives. This
remote-control titration setup is based on a Raspberry Pi
computer with a webcam and a servo. Raspberry Pi is a popular
open-source computer that can be used in various scientific
applications, including chemical education.17−19 Students can
simply remotely log in to the Raspberry Pi computer and
control the turning of the stopcock via a servo with visual
feedback through a camera module.
Received: August 20, 2020
Revised: January 8, 2021
Published: January 26, 2021
https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c01096
J. Chem. Educ. 2021, 98, 1037−1042
Journal of Chemical Education
Figure 1. (A) Schematic of the remote titration setup showing the connections between different components. (B) Hardware setup of the remote-
control titration unit consisting of a Raspberry Pi computer, a camera, and a servo. The Raspberry Pi is in an enclosure to protect it from chemical
spills.
■ MATERIALS AND METHODS
The following hardware was purchased from DFRobot Inc.
(https://www.dfrobot.com/, Shanghai, P.R.China).
(1) Raspberry Pi 4B (4GB RAM)
(2) Raspberry Pi Camera module
(3) Servo (HS-225MG)
The following hardware was purchased from LABISTS Inc.
(https://www.labists.com/).
1. LABISTS Raspberry Pi 4 enclosure
2. MicroSD card preloaded with NOOBS (New Out of the
Box Software)
Sample codes and a connection diagram can be found in the
Supporting Information. All chemicals used were purchased
from Sigma-Aldrich unless otherwise specified.
■ HAZARDS
NaOH − Sodium hydroxide is a corrosive substance.
Regardless of concentration: gloves, eye protection, and a lab
coat should be worn before handling this substance.
HCl − Hydrochloric acid is a corrosive substance.
Regardless of concentration: gloves, eye protection, and a lab
coat should be worn before handling this substance.
Phenolphthalein indicator − This may cause eye and skin
irritation. Regardless of concentration: gloves, eye protection,
and a lab coat should be worn before handling this substance.
If liquids are spilled on the Raspberry Pi unit, unplug the
power source and remove all the components from the unit.
Wipe the unit down to remove any excess liquid and allow the
unit to air-dry overnight before testing its functionality.
■
DISCUSSION
The remote titration unit was assembled as shown in Figure 1.
The design of this unit is similar to that of previous work.16,20
1038
pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc Communication
To control the system remotely, the user is required to login
to the Raspberry Pi unit via VNC remote desktop (information
on the VNC remote desktop can be found at the following
Web site: https://www.realvnc.com/en/). Once logged in,
users can control the titration unit via a widget written in
Python with a graphical user interface (GUI) as shown in
Figure 2. The slider bar controls the opening and closing of the
stopcock in a gradient fashion, while the single injection button
allows the user to dispense <200 μL of titrant into the solution.
(Note: Due to an inherent delay in response, students are
advised to slowly move the slider bar). Therefore, during the
process of titration, the user can select for the volume of titrant
to be added to the solution and monitor the progress of the
titration via the camera. It should be noted that a technician
will be required to photograph the height of the liquid in the
burette before and after the student has completed the
titration. (Note: This should be done using a DSLR camera
with the highest resolution possible at the appropriate angle,
allowing students to properly read the meniscus to determine
volume). These photos are sent to students such that they can
learn to properly read the burette, examples of which are
illustrated in Figure 2B,C. To evaluate the titration process, 10
mL of 0.101 M HCl is titrated against 0.105 M of NaOH.
Theoretically, approximately 10 mL of NaOH is required to
reach the end point. Three trials were repeated, and the
volumes of NaOH required to reach the end points were 9.20,
9.80, and 9.50 mL respectively. These values are consistent
with the theoretical values and validate our approach.
To further improve the setup such that other titration
experiments can be performed, a two-camera system is created,
allowing for the simultaneous monitoring of pH values during
a titration. The hardware required for this setup is shown in
Figure 3.
The titration of cola is used to illustrate, as proof of concept,
the applicability of this setup for a more advanced titration
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Journal of Chemical Education pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc Communication

Figure 2. (A) Screen shot of the program used for remote titration. A web browser is used to access the camera over the Internet on the left-hand
side of the screen, while a widget, written in Python, is controlled on the right-hand side of the screen through the VNC remote desktop
environment. The slider is used for manual control of the stopcock, in which 0° is completely closed and 90° is completely open. (B) Initial reading
of the burette before the start of the titration. (C) Final reading of the burette after the titration. A video of the entire titration process can be found
in the Supporting Information.

experiment. A video of the experiment can be found in the
Supporting Information, and a screen shot of the program used
in this experiment is shown in Figure 4.
This experiment was chosen due to its popularity in the
undergraduate lab and as an example of a triprotic acid with
multiple inflection points to illustrate to the students an
advanced titration experiment. In this case, the user clicks on
the single injection button, and the pH value is read off the
camera and manually recorded by the student. For this
experiment, 0.105 M NaOH was used to titrate against 15 mL
of cola solution. The resulting titration curve is shown in
Figure 5.
The calibration of volume for each injection was performed
according to previous literature.16,20 On the basis of our
calculations from three titration trials, the concentration of
H3PO4 is approximately 4.02 ± 0.030 mM, which is
comparable to typical values students obtained in our
undergraduate laboratory, which are between 3.50 to 4.50
mM of H3PO4.16,21
This remote-control titration unit offers several advantages
that can complement the current offerings of virtual laboratory
exercises in distanced chemical education.6,7,11 First, this
remote titration setup retains some of the important laboratory
skills that students need to learn in a titration experiment.
These skills include reading the meniscus of a real burette,
1039
appreciating the fine control of the stopcock, and observing the
transient nature of the color change near the end point.
Second, this remote setup allows other advanced titration
experiments to be performed as illustrated in the cola−
phosphoric acid titration experiment. With the appropriate
electrochemical sensors, other potentiometric titrations can
also be performed in conjunction with colorimetric titra-
tion.14,16 Third, this setup bridges the gap in experiential
learning, in which students can participate in the process of the
experiment under a real laboratory setting. Further, this remote
setup has great potential to address accessibility concerns,
since laboratory accommodations can be easily addressed,
allowing students to participate in a laboratory exercise in a
setting conducive to their unique learning needs. A caveat of
this setup is that it requires an Internet connection, which may
introduce lag times. Based on recent testing using a high-speed
cellular LTE/4G network for remote titration, an approx-
imately 0.5 s lag time was observed. Therefore, it is imperative
that students have access to reasonably high-speed Internet
either at home or on university premises to properly utilize this
titration setup. Lastly, the refilling of the burette and analyte
solution, as well as other preparatory tasks, will need to be
done by technical staff, which may create downtime between
trials.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c01096
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Journal of Chemical Education pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc Communication

Figure 3. Picture of the entire two-camera setup for a remote titration where the user can monitor the pH of the solution with a pH meter during
titration.

Figure 4. Screen shot of the two-camera system used for the titration of cola. Two web browsers are used to access the camera over the Internet,
streaming the titration process as well as pH reading, while a widget, written in Python, is controlled on the third window through the VNC remote
desktop environment. In this titration, the single injection button is used to dispense a fix amount of titrant into the solution.

Although using this unit for remote-control titration has its
merit, errors associated with this novel setup will need to be
considered when deploying it in an undergraduate analytical
chemistry lab for quantitative analysis. Human error and
technical limitations can affect the precision and accuracy of
this remote titration setup. Unlike previous studies in which an
autotitrator was used, this setup requires full participation from
students. Therefore, the element of human errors will
inevitably be introduced. Compared to an autotitrator, this
1040
remote-control titration unit can suffer from human errors that
are consistent with those experienced in an in-person
laboratory. Therefore, replicate measurements are critical.
This remote-control titration unit requires cognitive skills, in
which students are required to decide when to stop titration as
the end point approaches as well as manual recording of pH
values in the presence of fluctuating pH readings. In addition,
the smallest volume of titrant dispensed is limited by the
response of the servo, which can potentially overshoot the end
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J. Chem. Educ. 2021, 98, 1037−1042
Journal of Chemical Education
Figure 5. Sample titration curve of 15 mL of cola solution being titrated with 0.105 M NaOH solution via a remote titration unit. The calibrated
volume per injection from the burette is 0.1625 ± 0.0068 mL.
point in a titration experiment. While these errors can affect
precision and accuracy of titration experiments, these errors are
typical of those for an in-person lab, which can provide
additional learning opportunities in experimental errors for
online laboratory exercises, enriching the experiential learning
components for students.
■
CONCLUSION
Distanced education in the undergraduate chemistry lab is
becoming a reality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While
virtual laboratories are currently being deployed as an
alternative to in-person laboratories, these options may be
inadequate substitutes for experiential learning opportunities in
a real laboratory setting.6,11 In response to this, a remote
titration unit is constructed as a means to complement virtual
titration laboratory exercises.6,11 In general, this remote
titration setup offers students an opportunity to observe, as
well as participate in, a real titration experiment. In addition,
various technical and experimental aspects of a titration
experiment, such as transient color change, fluctuation of pH
values between injections, and precision between different
trials, can be effectively discussed and addressed in an online
format. Therefore, this remote titration setup is an excellent
example of chemical education that bring elements of the real
laboratory environment to an online format.
■
ASSOCIATED CONTENT
* Supporting Information
sı
The Supporting Information is available at https://pubs.ac-
s.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c01096.
Python Code Used to Control the Turning of Servo via
Widget, Python Code Used for Video Streaming Over
the Internet, List of Parts, Instructor Notes on
Colorimetric Acid and Base Titration, Student Work-
sheet on the Colorimetric Acid and Base Titration,
1041
pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc Communication
Instructor Notes on Potentiometric Titration of Coca-
Cola via NaOH, Student Worksheet on Potentiometric
Titration of Coca-Cola via NaOH, Calibration of
injection Volume − Sample Calculation (PDF,
DOCX)
Remote_Titration_of_HCl_with_NaOH (ZIP)
Remote_Titration_of_Cola_with_NaOH (ZIP)
■
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
Ronald Soong − Department of Physical and Environmental
Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada M1C 1A4; orcid.org/0000-0002-8223-
9028; Email: ronald.soong@utoronto.ca
Authors
Amy Jenne − Department of Physical and Environmental
Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada M1C 1A4
Daniel H. Lysak − Department of Physical and Environmental
Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada M1C 1A4
Rajshree Ghosh Biswas − Department of Physical and
Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M1C 1A4
Antonio Adamo − Department of Physical and Environmental
Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada M1C 1A4
Kris S. Kim − Department of Physical and Environmental
Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada M1C 1A4
Andre Simpson − Department of Physical and Environmental
Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada M1C 1A4; orcid.org/0000-0002-8247-
5450
https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c01096
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Complete contact information is available at:
https://pubs.acs.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c01096
Notes
The authors declare no competing financial interest.
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■
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We acknowledge the University of Toronto Scarborough for
their generous support of this project. We would like to thank
DFRobot Inc. for their technical support in the setup and
programming of the Raspberry Pi unit.
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