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The Chemical Educator
ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)
Abstract Volume 29
(2024) pp 47-50
Identifying Unknown Analgesics: An Introductory Experiment for Organic Chemistry Laboratory
Angela Zhou† and Xiaolei Gao*,‡
†Bridgewater-Raritan High School, 600 Garretson Road. Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807; ,‡School of Natural Sciences, College of Natural, Behavioral and Health Sciences, Caldwell University, 120 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell, NJ 07006, xgao@caldwell.edu
Received August 14, 2023. Accepted January 4, 2024.
Published: 31 January 2024
Abstract. We designed a new introductory experiment for organic chemistry laboratory using the four most common over-the-counter (OTC) oral analgesics. This experiment allows students to make connections to several fundamental concepts they learn in organic chemistry: from the prevalence of organic compounds in medicine, what defines organic acid, how to predict acid-base reactions from pKa values, and the solubility rule, to the common functional groups of an organic compound and their polarity. Students will also get their first exposure to basic techniques in organic chemistry laboratories such as extraction, thin layer chromatography, column chromatography, filtration, rotary evaporation (vacuum distillation), and melting point determination.
Key Words: In the Classroom; organic chemistry; introductory experiment; comparing and contrasting; relevance in teaching and learning; analgesics; organic acid; predicting acid-base reactions from pKa values; functional groups; polarity; extraction; thin layer chromatography; column chromatography; rotary evaporation; melting point determination.
(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: xgao@caldwell.edu)
Article in PDF formatt(174 KB) HTML fomat
Supporting Materials:
A laboratory handout for students is included. (238 KB)
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