Lakes are artists' pigments made from colorants bound to an inert substrate, usually hydrated aluminum oxide. Before the late 19th century, lakes were made from natural pigments extracted from plants and insects, extracted either directly from the dyestuff or indirectly from waste materials generated in the manufacture of dyed textiles. The first…

Amides are usually prepared using amines and acyl halides, which often implies a two-step procedure. Alternatively, coupling reagents can be used in a single-step reaction with good yields, which seems to be suitable for organic chemistry laboratory classes. This work was designed to synthesize "N"-hexylcinnamamide through a one-step…

We report a research-enhanced undergraduate laboratory practical in which students synthesize and characterize color-controllable, stable silver nanoparticles for use in a simple catalytic reaction analyzed by UV-vis spectroscopy. The practical has been prepared for students using electronic laboratory notebooks, enables collaborative data…

[superscript 1]H NMR spectroscopy is a molecular characterization technique that is ubiquitously used in research and teaching laboratories alike. Strategic deuteration of molecules is a commonly employed technique in the deconvolution of [superscript 1]H NMR signals. Here this approach is applied in a second-year chemistry course in which…

Spectroscopic characterization of molecules is typically reinforced in the organic chemistry teaching laboratory via the analysis of reaction products by NMR and IR, and initial coverage of these topics can include experiments involving the identification of unknown compounds. To combine the unknown identification component with common laboratory…

The reduction of alkenes usually involves a hydrogen source and a catalyst. This process is both expensive and not well-suited for a large teaching laboratory. This paper presents an alternative procedure using a mixture of cobalt chloride and sodium borohydride to achieve the reduction of methyl oleate to methyl stearate. This procedure is safe,…

This laboratory experiment aims to provide undergraduate students with research experience in water treatment by membrane separation. This experiment includes fabrication and characterization, as well as water treatment applications of the interfacially polymerized polyester nanofiltration membranes. Through participating in this experimental…

Green chemistry is finding its place as one of the most essential study topics in the curriculum of future chemists and chemical engineers. Experiments that meet green chemistry principles contribute to make the laboratory a safer working place, generate less waste, and allow students to increase their knowledge in new environmentally friendly…

The pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing industry has become the largest industrial sector for the employment of chemists, indicating a need for experiments with a pharmaceutical sciences context in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. In the pharmaceutical industry, testing drug dissolution is a key analytical task for solid oral dosage…

The synthesis of a [2]rotaxane through three- or five-component coupling reactions has been adapted to an organic chemistry experiment for upper-division students. The experimental procedure addresses the search for the most favorable reaction conditions for the synthesis of the interlocked compound, which is obtained in a yield of up to 71%.…

An experiment for the undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory involving a method for the isolation of eugenol from cloves has been developed. The experiment employs microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of the essential oil from whole cloves using aqueous ethanol and the subsequent isolation of eugenol by acid-base extraction. The MAE allows for…

Optimization of experimental conditions in chromatography is recognized as a wear-and-tear process involving hundreds of experiments in order to maximize the number of separated compounds for each sample. The critical thinking skills and practices entailed cannot be achieved with students in a conventional lecture class. This report provides a…

An experiment for the synthesis of N-acyl derivatives of natural amino acids has been developed as part of the Distributed Drug Discovery (D3) program. Students use solid-phase synthesis techniques to complete a three-step, combinatorial synthesis of six products, which are analyzed using LC-MS and NMR spectroscopy. This protocol is suitable for…

This laboratory experiment, designed for undergraduate nonmajors or advanced high school students, attempts to demystify the technique of spectrophotometry by utilizing a hands-on, real-world approach. Modification of the reaction for the formation of Fe[(bpy)[subscript 3]][subscript 2+] allows students to interact with vitamin C, a compound with…

A functionalized fiber (PAN[subscript ADMAP]F) was synthesized by immobilizing "N,N'"-dimethyl-"N"-(4-pyridinyl)-1,3-propanediamine (ADMAP, a DMAP analogue) onto the surface of polyacrylonitrile fibers (PANF). The structure and morphology of the functionalized fibers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared…