The Physical Chemistry of Hard and Soft Matter Laboratory of CQE@Ciências (PCHSM) was involved in the 11th edition of the Ser Cientista program at FCUL, which introduces high school students to the academic environment and research activities of FCUL. Four students developed a small, one-week research project whose results were presented to the whole class in the Ser Cientista Congress held in the last day. The project entitled Chemistry and the Secrets of a Perfect Chocolate, explored the polymorphic behavior of chocolate components that determine the production of a “perfect” chocolate bar, by using techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry and thermomicroscopy. The activity was specifically designed to introduce the students to the chemical aspects of crystal polymorphism, one of the main research areas of PCHSM, with impact, not only in chocolate manufacture, but also in sectors such as electronics, agrochemicals, and pharmaceuticals.
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