Organic Chemistry I and laboratory M - Z

Module Organic Chemistry I and laboratory (Module 2)

• The course aims to provide students with the fundamental safety concepts to be adopted in an Organic Chemistry laboratory and to provide basic knowledge of the theoretical and practical aspects of the main laboratory techniques of Organic Chemistry.
• The course aims to provide knowledge of the standard purification techniques of organic compounds and the primary methodologies for their recognition and their characterization.
• The concepts illustrated during the lectures will become practice during the laboratory sessions.
• At the end of the course, the student will be able to independently carry out the purification and characterization of an organic compound by working in safe conditions and preparing a scientific report.

Concerning the so-called Dublin Descriptors, the learning outcomes of the course are:

• D1 - Knowledge and understanding: students will acquire knowledge of both the equipment of the Organic Chemistry laboratory and both standard laboratory procedures for the preparation and purification of organic compounds. Furthermore, they will get complete knowledge of the concepts of safety and danger to the environment and health.
• D2 - Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: students will be able to manipulate organic compounds responsibly, knowing and strictly adhering to safety regulations. They can assemble and use the main equipment in an organic chemistry laboratory to purify and characterize an organic compound.
• At the end of the course, they can record and document the experimental activities reliably and systematically in the laboratory notebook.
• D3 - Independent judgment: students can design and conduct their experiments independently. At the end of the course, they will know how to interpret the collected data in a coherent, critical, and correct way, correlating them to the appropriate theories; besides, they will know how to formulate hypotheses and discard the incorrect ones.
• D4 - Communication skills: students will acquire the ability to communicate in written and oral form through the use of appropriate language, experimental data, information, problems encountered, and possible solutions.
• D5 - Learning skills: students will be able to apply a standard technique used in organic chemistry laboratories autonomously, showing the ability to deal with a problem by applying the skills acquired during the course. Finally, they must show that they have developed good learning and in-depth skills to deal efficiently with subsequent chemistry lab courses.

Information for students with disabilities and/or SLD

To guarantee equal opportunities and compliance with the laws in force, interested students can ask for a personal interview to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures based on the didactic objectives and specific needs.

The course consists of 6 credits  arranged between hours of theoretical lessons and hours of laboratory exercises. The hours of theoretical lessons are preliminary to the development of laboratory exercises.

If teaching will be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes concerning previous statements in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.

General Chemistry knowledge: chemical bonding, acidity and basicity, etc.

1. Introduction to the organic chemistry laboratory: safety regulations; Laboratory equipment: risks and use; Use of laboratory solvents.
2. Heating and cooling techniques
3. Organic solvents: characteristics
4. Physical constants: Melting Points and Boiling Points
5. Purification of solids and purity criteria: filtration; crystallization; drying; sublimation; distillation; extraction techniques of organic compounds: basic and acid substances extraction
6. Chromatographic separations (thin layer chromatography and column chromatography).

Laboratory experiences:

1. Purification of an organic compound through recrystallisation;
2. Distillation
3. Separation of organic products throughout solvent extraction;
4. Soap preparation;
5. Aspirin synthesis;
6. Pigment extractions from spinach leaves and chromatographic separation;
7. Thin-layer chromatography;

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 examination, which is integrated with Module 1, is designed to ascertain:

1. The acquisition of the course's basic concepts and the ability to link them with each other and with the experiments carried out in the laboratory.
2. The ability to clearly expound the concepts using appropriate scientific language.
3. The ability to use and quantitatively interpret experimental data by applying the concepts and methodologies acquired during the course.

The oral examination will discuss a laboratory experience and topics from the theoretical course. During the exam, knowledge of the course topics will be evaluated:

• Level of the correctness of answers
• Correctness in the exposition of topics
• Profit in the laboratory activity 

Reports on all laboratory experiences are required and must be sent to the lecturer electronically (in Word or pdf format) within 15 days after the laboratory experience is performed. The lecturer will communicate through a notice on Studium any deadlines regarding how to submit the reports.

Each student should notify the lecturer of participation in the roll call at least 15 days before the exam date to receive the corrected reports.

The outcome of the learning verification will also consider the laboratory reports.

The learning verification may also be conducted electronically, should conditions require it.

Distillation: Theory of distillation; Glassware used to assemble distillation apparatus; differences between different types of distillation; description of isobar diagram; etc. Solvent extraction: theory, glassware used, examples of application. Characteristics of solvents: protic, aprotic, polar, apolar solvents. Work-up of a chemical reaction, etc.