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The Chemical Educator
ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)
Abstract Volume 22
(2017) pp 104-107
Bridging the Gap Between Technique-Building Experiments and Independent Research Projects: A One-Step Synthesis Project for First-Semester Organic Chemistry Students
Mary Robert Garrett* and Matthew J. Saderholm
Department of Chemistry, Berea College, Berea, Kentucky 40404, USA, garrettm@berea.edu
Received March 22, 2017. Accepted May 18, 2017.
Published: 12 June 2017
Abstract. A one-step mini-synthesis project has been adopted in the first semester of organic chemistry laboratory to bridge the gap between refining experimental techniques and proposing and executing a two-step synthetic sequence. For this three-week project students—a) modify a previously attempted one-step synthesis experiment to a substrate of their choosing in a formal project proposal; b) conduct two or three trials of the experiment; and c) analyze their results via 1H and 13C NMR and infrared spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Students report their results in a formal laboratory paper in ACS style as well as a PowerPoint presentation.
Key Words: Laboratories and Demonstrations; organic chemistry
(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: garrettm@berea.edu)
Article in PDF format (168 KB) HTML format
Supporting Materials:
An example first-semester organic chemistry course syllabus with mini-synthesis project handout can be found in the Supporting Materials. Also included is the follow-up second-semester organic chemistry synthesis project handout. (22 KB)
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