ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Lab
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Full programme
- Bibliography
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
The students must know the basic concept of acid- basic and oxidation- reduction reactions acquired in the course of inorganic and general chemistry and the functional group reactivity studied in the course of organic chemistry (together with the concept of polarity, relative acidity and solubility).
The students are required to write a report at the end of each experience made in the laboratory. Starting from these manuscripts, the teacher will ask the student to describe what has been done in the lab, with discussion of the results and the significance of the experience. The correct use of some simple glassware is required as well as some questions on theoretical arguments are also possible. The grade of the Laboratory of chemistry exam will be weighted averaged with that one of organic chemistry.
Introduction and training goals: The laboratory of chemistry is divided in 12h (1.5 CFU) of frontal lessons and 8h (0.5 CFU) of practical experiences made in two different afternoon in the lab. of chemistry of the Department. Each afternoon a group of 24 students will accomplish some different experiences mainly concerning simple synthetic procedure of the chemistry. The theoretical lessons will precede the practical section thus the students should learn the theory to be applied in the experiments. The objective of this course is to give the first knowledge about the use of the glassware and the application of the theory to simple organic reaction
The theoretical part of the program will be given with 12 h of frontal lessons in a class-room while the practical experiences are done in the Laboratory of Chemistry of our Department.
The students will carry out the following practical experiences: 1) Acid/ base titration: phosphoric acid with NaOH with pHmetric; 2) Redox titration of KMnO4 with sodium oxalate. 3) Extraction of caffeine from coffee and purification of the raw extract by crystallization. This experience concerns the solvent extraction from an aqueous phase, the concept of anhydrification and that one of crystallization. The control of the purity of the isolated compound will be done with melting point measurement. 4) Chomatrographic separation of diphenyl and benzophenone with TLC analysis under UV lamp (concept of fluorescence).
In the whole, the practical experiences require the knowledge of some theoretical aspects of both inorganic and general chemistry and some of the organic chemistry.
At the end of the practical experience, the students are required to write a short report about the experience done. These reports will be judged during examination.
The students will carry out the following practical experiences:
1) titration of a polyprotic acid (H3PO4) with NaOH by means of a pH meter. This is a classic acid-base titration in which the concept of pH is introduced, the use of ion-selective electrodes and calculation of acidity constants
2) Redox titration of KMnO4 with sodium oxalate. The experience introduces the concepts of primary and secondary standards, of molarity and normality.
3) Extraction of caffeine from Coffee and purification of the extract by crystallization. This experience concerns a classical method for the recovery of a natural compound from the vegetable. The following steps are used: solvent extraction from an aqueous phase, anhydrification of the organic solution. The evaporation (distillation) step and that one of crystallization. The control of the purity of the isolated compound will be done with melting point measurement.
4) Chromatographic separation of diphenyl and benzophenone by TLC by observing it under the UV lamp (concept of fluorescence). This experience concerns a technique commonly used in organic chemistry laboratories to quickly check the progress of the reaction and find the conditions for a chromatographic column.
TEXTS AND MATERIALS.
The slides of all the arguments treated in the course will be available on the teacher E-learning address.
For this kind of course there is not specific textbook, however, most of the organic chemistry texts contain some part concerning Uv-Vis spectroscopy
The theoretical part of the program will be given with frontal lessons in a class-room while the practical experiences will be done in the Laboratory of Chemistry. The inscription to the laboratory shifts is mandatory to organize the proper number of days in which the lab. of chemistry will be used.
All the concepts and the indications for the correct practical applications of the theories will be provided by slides presented at the lessons and on E-learning website.
Tutorials are given following appointment by mail.