This page is dedicated to discussion of laboratory experiments

 

that the OChemOnline community finds particularly

 

instructive and interesting.

 

The OChemOnline community is especially interested in hearing about experiments that have been recently published in Journal of Chemical Education.

 

We do not intend to reproduce published work.

If a lab handout is extensively copied from a published source, please reference the source instead of posting the laboratory handout. Another option may be to delete those sections which are copied from published sources from the lab handout before posting.

 

#11 "Ugi Synthesis Collaborative Project" This experiment represents the beginning of collaboration with the UsefulChem Bradley open notebook science group of graduate and undergraduate research at Drexel University. The goal of the UsefulChem project is to use the Ugi 4 component reaction to synthesize possible anti-malarial compounds. Open notebook science allows immediate dissemination of experimental results that invites advice and suggestions as well as complementary experiments that enhance and advance the project. We are going to reproduce some of the Drexel results as well as perform three complementary reactions that have not been done at Drexel.

 

#10 “Synthesis of Aromatic Esters"This lab was developed from a recent JCE article: Wade P.A.; Rutkowsky S.A.; King D.B. A simple combinatorial experiment based on Fischer esterification - An experiment suitable for the first-semester organic chemistry lab. J Chemical Education 2006, 83(6), 927-928. This, of course, is a version of the ever-popular “banana-oil” lab found in a multitude of laboratory manuals such as: Pavia D. L.; Lampman G. M.; Kriz G. S. “Introduction to Organic Laboratory Techniques: a contemporary approach” 1st edition 1976 W. B. Saunders Company.

 

#9 “Vanillin Synthesis from 4-Hydroxybenzaldehyde” This lab was developed by a team of students from a recent JCE article: “Vanillin Synthesis from 4-Hydroxybenzaldehyde.” Douglass F. Taber, Shweta Patel, Travis M. Hambleton, and Emma E. Winkel, J. Chem. Educ. 2007, 84, 1158. An online version of the lab was available at the Douglass Taber website; University of Delaware.

 

#7 “Synthesis of Chemiluminescent Esters” was developed by a team of students from a recent JCE article: “Synthesis of Chemiluminescent Esters: A Combinatorial Synthesis Experiment for Organic Chemistry Students,” Duarte, Robert; Nielsen, Janne T.; Dragojlovic, Veljko. J. Chem. Educ. 2004, 81, 1010. A good resource for this experiment is a website: “Chemiluminescence of Oxalate Esters” 

 

#6 Synthesis of Isopentyl Acetate (Banana Oil) was developed by a team of students from a website: “Preparation of Banana Oil” . Many websites and lab manuals have versions of this very same experiment. I performed this experiment in 1979 from Pavia D. L.; Lampman G. M.; Kriz G. S. “Introduction to Organic Laboratory Techniques: a contemporary approach” 1st edition 1976 W. B. Saunders Company.

 

#5 "Combinatorial Synthesis of Azo Dyes" was adapted from: A Combinatorial Experiment Suitable for Undergraduate Laboratories Benjamin W. Gung and Richard T. Taylor in the Journal of Chemical Education, Vol 81, No. 11, November 2004 and Daniel R. Palleros,Experimental Organic Chemistry, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2000, pp. 627-628.

Its a variation of the classic "Synthesis of Methyl Orange" that I performed as an undergraduate.

 

#4 “Synthesis and Recrystallization of Adipic Acid” was adapted by a group of 4 students from: Experiment 5, Doxsee, K. M., & Hutchison, J. E. (2004). Green organic chemistry : Strategies, tools, and laboratory experiments Southbank, Vic., Australia ; United States: Thomson-Brooks/Cole

 

#3 "Identification of a Conjugated Diene from Eucalyptus Oil” was adapted by a group of 4 students from: Lehman, J. W., Lehman, J. W., Operational organic chemistry, & 3rd. (2004). Microscale operational organic chemistry : A problem-solving approach to the laboratory course. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall. This was an interesting find, I thought. I have done a couple of different Diels Alder experiments over the years: maleic anhydride and cyclopentadiene, as well as maleic anhydride and anthracene.

 

#2a "Oxidation of Cinnamyl Alcohol using Pyridinium Chlorochromate" was developed by a group of four students from: Experiment #14 in Mohrig, J. R. “Modern projects and experiments in organic chemistry: Miniscale and standard taper microscale.” (2003) New York; Basingstoke: W.H. Freeman; Palgrave Macmillan.

 

#2b "Synthesis of a Tertiary Alcohol Using a Pre-Made Grignard Reagent" was adapted by a group of four students from a recent JCE article: Michael A. G. Berg and Roy D. Pointer. J. Chem. Educ. 2007, 84, 483.

 

#1 Our first "regular" experiment of the Spring 2008 Semester was "Steam Distillation of Essential Oils."

We distilled cloves, anise, caraway, cinnamon, and cumin to collect and analyse the extracted essential oils.

This is a very basic experiment that is found in several Sophomore Organic Chemistry Laboratory Manuals.

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Fall Semester Labs:

 

This is a four-week first semester introductory sequence.

All four labs together lead to the separation and identification of a mixuture of two unknowns.

An Introductory Sequence: TLC, Liquid/Liquid Extraction, Recrystallization, and Melting Point Determination

 

Extraction of Caffeine from tea is a traditional experiment. This last year we added an additional week where the students extract caffeine from their beverage of choice.

Extraction of Caffeine - a common first semester SOC experiment

 

Post an experiment and/or discussion! invite key = ochemrules

 


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