Year 12 Chemistry pupils enjoyed a day in the undergraduate laboratories at Bristol University on Friday 24 June. Here , they successfully extracted caffeine from a concentrated tea bag solution. 

Pupils had to use a variety of complex glassware and equipment such as rotary evaporators, before achieving their solid caffeine. This was then characterised by both IR spectroscopy and melting point analysis. 

After a well-earned break, our young chemistry enthusiasts were treated to a talk by a postgraduate student, who had just finished her PhD. This was followed by a fabulous demonstration lecture about gases in the atmosphere and their unusual properties. 

The day was no doubt busy, though packed with useful skills and ideas, giving pupils an insight into life beyond school and how chemistry in an intrinsic part of all our lives.