Organic Chemistry I and laboratory

Module Organic Chemistry I and laboratory (Module 2)

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.

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.

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.

Furthermore, in reference to the so-called Dublin Descriptors, this course helps to acquire the following skills:

D1 - Knowledge and understanding. The Students must have a complete knowledge of the equipment present in the Organic Chemistry laboratory and of standard laboratory procedures for the preparation and purification of organic compounds. Moreover, the students grow sensitivity to the risks involved in the laboratory techniques, how to use the individual safety devices and how to manage and dispose of glass devices and chemicals.

D2 - Ability to apply knowledge and understanding. The students will be able to apply the knowledge acquired during the course. In addition, they will be able to conduct practical experiments useful for the synthesis and extraction of organic molecules. They will have to be able to record and document their experimental activities in in the laboratory notebook.

D3 - Autonomy of judgment. The students must show independence of judgment in the interpretation of the experimental data and of the obtained results, as well as they must show ability to plan and conduct an experiment in organic synthesis employing methods explained and implemented experimentally during the course.

D4 - Communication skills. The students must be able to communicate clearly with a correct property of chemical language and terminological rigor, methods and issues concerning the preparation and purification of organic compounds.

D5 - Learning skills. The students will have to develop learning skills that will enable them to continuously update their knowledge useful to conduct practical experiments in successive chemistry lab courses.

The course consists of 6 credits corresponding to 72 hours divided between hours of theoretical lessons and hours of laboratory exercises. The hours of theoretical lessons are preliminary to the development of laboratory exercises. The student will be engaged in laboratory exercises lasting 4 hours each.

The students should have basic knowledge of Organic Chemistry, General Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics.

Introduction to the organic chemistry laboratory: Safety regulations; Laboratory equipment: risks and use; Use of laboratory solvents.

Laboratory separation techniques: Purification of solids and purity criteria; Filtration, Crystallization, Drying, Sublimation. Distillation techniques. Extraction techniques of organic compounds. Boiling and melting point determination.

Chromatographic separations: The choice of the eluent, thin layer chromatography, column chromatography,

Laboratory experiences: 

• Purification of an organic compound through recrystallization;
• Purification, through recrystallization, of an organic compound in presence of an inorganic compound and an organic dye; 
  
• Distillation and boiling point determination;
• Separation of organic products through solvent extraction;
• Soap preparation;
• Pigment extractions from spinach leaves, and chromatographic separation;
• Thin layer chromatography (TLC);
• Aspirin synthesis

1. D. L. Pavia, G. M. Lampman, G. S. Kriz. Il laboratorio di Chimica Organica. Ed. Sorbona

2. M. D’Ischia. La Chimica Organica in Laboratorio. Ed. Piccin

3. R. M. Roberts, J. C. Gilbert, S.F. Martin. Chimica Organica Sperimentale. Zanichelli

4. K. L. Williamson, K. M. Masters. Macroscale and Miscoscale Organic Experiments. Ed. K. Williamson, Houghton Mifflin

The final exam consists of a written test containing problems that are proposed to the solution of the students (duration: 2 hours). The test must be passed with a mark equal or higher than 18/30. The written test will be followed by an oral test for the definition of the final mark. The exams of the Mod.1 and the Mod. 2 are integrated. 

Purification methods for Organic Compound (crystallization; distillation; liquid-liquid extraction; column chromatography)

Experiments carried out in Lab