ERIC Number: EJ1445134
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Sep
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: EISSN-1938-1328
A Novel Lewis Structure and Its Utilization in the Examination of Mechanisms of Organic Chemical Reactions
Weijie Zhou; Zhiyuan Xu; Junlong Zhao
Journal of Chemical Education, v100 n9 p3694-3702 2023
Understanding organic reaction mechanisms can be a challenging task for many undergraduate students, particularly those who are nonchemistry majors, despite the fact that organic chemistry is a mandatory course for numerous science and engineering undergraduate programs. The selectivity of a reaction is largely determined by the distribution and deviation of electron clouds. Nonetheless, the traditional Lewis structure proves inadequate in clearly conveying the distinctions and correlations among sigma bonds, lone pair electrons, and pi bonds. Therefore, a precise and thorough scientific analysis of the structure of organic compounds is of great significance. In light of this, we propose a pioneering method for representing chemical bonds, which not only provides a more lucid portrayal of electron cloud deviation in molecules but also offers a more intuitive depiction of compound structure and reaction mechanisms. According to the proposed novel Lewis structure, we re-explained the mechanism of organic chemical reactions in class. This paper introduces and gives examples according to the types of reactions, including nucleophilic substitution reaction, nucleophilic addition reaction, and electrophilic addition reaction, etc. After class, we conducted a questionnaire survey on the classroom experience and new understanding of reaction. By collecting the results of college students (N = 300) of different majors (N = 5), we found that our method could significantly improved their understanding of reaction mechanisms (90%), help them transfer knowledge (82%), and improve learning efficiency (69%).
Descriptors: Organic Chemistry, Molecular Structure, College Science, Undergraduate Students, Majors (Students), Nonmajors, Required Courses, Science Instruction, Teaching Methods
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Information Analyses
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A