Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding: the course will provide the students with the theoretical and practical knowledge of the main experimental techniques of the organic chemistry laboratory. Special emphasis will be given to safety related issues. Moreover, the course content complements the theoretical concepts acquired in the Organic Chemistry I course.
Learning skills: the students will master a formally corrected scientific language. They will also be able to clearly express organic chemistry-related concepts and to write a scientific report.
Applying knowledge and understanding: at the end of the course, the students will be able to independently carry out the purification and characterization of an organic compound working in safe conditions.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of the contents of the General and Inorganic Chemistry course
Course unit content
Introduction to the organic chemistry laboratory.
Introduction to NMR and UV-Vis spectroscopic techniques.
The most important separation techniques in the organic chemistry laboratory: theory and practice.
Theoretical and practical approach to an organic synthesis reaction.
Full programme
Introduction to the organic chemistry laboratory: safety regulations; laboratory equipment: risks and use; use of laboratory solvents.
Introduction to NMR and UV-Vis spectroscopic techniques: basic concepts; examples of structural determination through NMR spectroscopy.
Laboratory separation techniques: purification of solids and purity criteria; the choice of the solvent and melting point determination; extraction techniques of organic compounds; natural product extraction; basic and acid substances extraction; chromatographic separations; the choice of the eluent, thin layer chromatography, column chromatography, gaschromatography; distillation techniques: simple distillation and fractional distillation.
How to run an organic synthesis reaction.
Laboratory experiences:
Purification of an organic compound through recrystallisation;
Separation of organic products through acid-base extraction;
Caffeine extraction from tea leaves;
Ethyl acetate and butyl acetate separation through fractional distillation and gas-chromatographic analysis;
Thin layer chromatography and column chromatography and spectrophotometric UV-Vis analyses of the separated products;
Electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions and product analysis through NMR spectroscopy.
Laboratory practical exam.
Bibliography
M. D’Ischia, “La Chimica Organica in Laboratorio” (2 volumes), Piccin.
R.M. Roberts, J.C. Gilbert, L.B. Rodewald, A.S. Wingrove, “Chimica Organica Sperimentale”, Zanichelli.
R.M. Silverstein, F.X. Webster, “Identificazione Spettroscopica di Composti Organici”, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana.
Teaching methods
The course develops in 32 hours of frontal teaching and 30 hours of laboratory practice.
Assessment methods and criteria
The practical laboratory exam will verify the ability to plan and independently carry out simple laboratory operations involving organic compounds working in safe conditions.
The oral exam will verify the knowledge of the theory related to the laboratory experiences, the ability to explain the NMR spectra of simple organic compounds and the ability of writing a scientific report.
Other information
Lecture notes are available on the web.
The teacher is available upon request for discussion and explanation of specific topics.
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
- - -
