Reported herein is a multidisciplinary laboratory experiment for advanced undergraduate students that includes elements of material synthesis, in the synthesis of cyclodextrin-containing metal-organic frameworks (CD-MOFs), and environmental chemistry, in the use of these MOFs for pollutant removal. This multiday laboratory experiment starts with…

With the development of a strong bioeconomy sector related to the creation of next-generation biorefineries, heterogeneous catalysis is receiving renewed attention. Indeed, catalysis is at the core of biorefinery design, and many new catalysts and catalytic processes are being developed. On the one hand, they are based on knowledge acquired during…

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is widely used by chemists. Furthermore, the use of NMR spectroscopy to solve structures of macromolecules or to examine protein-ligand interactions is popular. Yet, few students entering graduate education in biological sciences have been introduced to this method or its utility. Over the last six…

A microscale laboratory experiment to investigate the formation and utility of microemulsions is described. Microemulsions are technologically important fluids that can reduce the use of toxic organic solvents. In the experiment, students prepare a microemulsion and compare the solubility of sudan III dye in the microemulsion and in dodecane. They…

Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy is a useful technique for measuring the infrared spectra of solids and liquids as well as probing adsorption on particle surfaces. Several examples of the use of FTIR-ATR spectroscopy in different undergraduate chemistry laboratory courses are presented here. These…

Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy is a useful technique for measuring the infrared spectra of solids and liquids as well as probing adsorption on particle surfaces. The use of FTIR-ATR spectroscopy in organic and inorganic chemistry laboratory courses as well as in undergraduate research was presented…

This experiment was developed as a means of incorporating instrumental analyses into an introductory chemistry laboratory. A two-component solid mixture of caffeine and ibuprofen is separated through a series of solution extractions and precipitation and their relative amounts measured. These compounds were chosen because the combination of…

This article describes a discovery experiment for general chemistry and organic chemistry labs. Although the pinacol rearrangement has been employed in undergraduate organic laboratories before, in this application organic chemistry students act as mentors to students of general chemistry. Students work together using distillation--a new technique…

This article describes a novel experiment focused on metal ion hydrolysis and the equilibria related to metal ions in aqueous systems. Using [superscript 27]Al NMR, the students become familiar with NMR spectroscopy as a quantitative analytical tool for the determination of aluminum by preparing a standard calibration curve using standard aluminum…

Treatment of phenylacetic acid with 90% HNO[subscript 3] yields a product, I, whose observed melting point is 175-179 degrees C and whose equivalent weight is approximately 226 grams. Treatment of phenylacetic acid with 70% HNO[subscript 3] yields a product, II, whose observed melting point is 106-111 degrees C and whose equivalent weight is…

This article describes the rapid, green synthesis of a biaryl compound (4-phenylphenol) via a Pd(0)-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reaction in water. Mild reaction conditions and operational simplicity makes this experiment especially amenable to both mid- and upper-level undergraduates. The methodology exposes students to purely aqueous…

This report describes a biochemistry laboratory that is completely project-oriented. Upper-level biology and chemistry majors work in teams to purify a protein of their choice. After the student groups have completed literature searches, ordered reagents, and made buffers they continue to learn basic protein purification and biochemical techniques…

In this experiment, organic chemistry students perform reactions between three naphthyl acetate derivatives and the diazonium salt Fast-Red TR, under basic conditions. The three naphthyl acetate derivatives used in this study are 2-naphthyl acetate (1a), 6-bromo-2-naphthyl acetate (1b) and 1,6-dibromo-2-naphthyl acetate (1c). The two-step, one-pot…

Kinetics constitutes a core topic in both the lecture and laboratory components of lower- level chemistry courses. While textbook examples can ignore issues of time, temperature and safety, the laboratory can not. Reactions must occur slowly enough to be detected by students, occur rapidly enough for data collection in the few hours assigned to a…

The series of experiments proposed for advanced undergraduate students deal with both standard organometallic preparative methods in dry anaerobic conditions and with a kinetic study of the mechanisms operating in the substitution of square-planar complexes. The preparation of organometallic compounds is carried out by transmetallation or…