Laboratory

Virtualizing Organic Chemistry Labs Project

Description: 

Have good students had their laboratory course disrupted by military service, pregnancy, and other life events that prevented them from coming to lab?  Maria Gallardo-Williams and the DELTA team at North Carolina State University may have the answer with their virtual organic chemistry lab experiences.  Students may eventually be able to complete some lab experiments at remote locations without direct contact with compounds, equipment, and instrumentation.

Enhancing Research Skills and Attitudes in Undergraduate Organic Chemistry with a Course-Embedded Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) via Green Organic Synthesis

Author(s): 
Coppock, P.; Park, S.H.; Paredes, J.; Pennington, R.; Pursell, D.P.; Rudd, G.; Sloop, J.C.; Tsoi, M.Y.
Author Affiliation: 
Georgia Gwinnett College
Journal: 
Journal of Laboratory Chemical Education
Year: 
2017
Volume: 
5
Pages: 
41-47
Abstract: 
 The Organic Chemistry II laboratory experience is reimagined as a semester-long green synthesis project involving the preparation of sulfa drugs. Student groups select a sulfa drug target to synthesize, research their assigned sulfa drug target, prepare a research plan and brief their instructor on their plan. Once their plan is approved, students prepare their experimental procedures before coming to lab, then synthesize, isolate, purify and analyze their sulfa drug product over the course of the semester. Through this project, students are exposed to a more research-focused laboratory experience. End-of-semester written synthesis exam scores indicate that students engaged in this project scored on average 8 percent higher on the synthesis exam than students who took the course prior to implementation of this project.  

An Automated Grading Spreadsheet for Reports or Presentations

Author(s): 
Sally S. Hannicutt
Journal: 
Journal of Chemical Education
Year: 
2016
Volume: 
93
Pages: 
210–212
Abstract: 
An Excel workbook is described that automates and simplifies the use of any grading rubric for written reports or oral presentations. The accompanying workbook can be modified to include a user’s specific rubric and grading scheme.

A Green, Enantioselective Synthesis of Warfarin for the Undergraduate Organic Laboratory

Author(s): 
Wong,T. C.; Sultana, C. M.; Vosburg, D. A.
Author Affiliation: 
Department of Chemistry, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California 91711
Journal: 
Journal of Chemical Education
Year: 
2010
Volume: 
87
Pages: 
194-195

ChemCrafter

Description: 

This is an iPad app (only for iPad, I'm afraid!) sponsored by the Chemical Heritage Foundation.

What it does is to simulate an old-time chemistry set, with all the dangerous chemicals. You start with alkali metals in water, and work your way up to heating reactive metals in air with a blowtorch, and mixing alkalic metals with halogens. There's a strong emphasis on BOOM. 

Unfortunately this is not suitable for classroom use, at least for me, because you can't get random access to particular reactions. But it is a lot of fun to play with, and perfectly suitable (recommended) for children.

The YouTube promotional video is below.

https://youtu.be/jlf0UtB8SCw

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