The Use of GC/MS, UV/Vis, and Modeling for the Limited Identification of Unknown Acetophenones as an Introductory Characterization Experience in an Upper-Level Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory Course.

TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 13 Issue 3 (2008) pp 148-152

The Use of GC/MS, UV/Vis, and Modeling for the Limited Identification of Unknown Acetophenones as an Introductory Characterization Experience in an Upper-Level Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory Course.

Marion T. Doig,^† Frederick J. Heldrich,^†,* Patrick G. Meier,^‡ and Clyde R. Metz^†

^†Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424, ^‡Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, heldrichr@cofc.edu
Received May 26, 2007. Accepted August 1, 2007.

Published online: 1 June 2008

Abstract. We describe a simple experiment to start students off in an advanced synthesis and characterization laboratory course. The experiment achieves three fundamental objects. First, adding to prior knowledge of IR, MS, UV/vis and NMR spectroscopy from the introductory organic chemistry course, it gives students a solid grounding in the use of GC/MS and HPLC with UV/vis instrumentation and data analysis, preparatory to further use of these analytical techniques in the course and elsewhere. Second, it gives students an appreciation for the potential utility and rigor required in the application of computational chemistry. Third, it brings to the student’s attention the continued importance and significance of classical/historical practices in the field of structure elucidation.

Key Words: Laboratories and Demonstrations; organometallic chemistry; isomerization; solid state reactions; green chemistry; reaction kinetics

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: heldrichr@cofc.edu)

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Supporting Materials:

The preliminary computational exercise (SM1), the nature and identification of the transitions identified as the p to p* transition in a ZINDPO CI spectrum (SM2), computational issues in the determination of the global minimum for acetophenones, and observations on the use of different methods(AM1, PM3 or DFT) in the ZINDO calculations are included as supporting materials (42 KB).