CHEM 431WOrganic and Inorganic Preparations

4 credits · Chemistry · Penn State

Preparation, purification, and characterization of both organic and inorganic compounds by modern methods. CHEM 431W CHEM 431W Organic and Inorganic Preparations (3) CHEM 431W is a one-semester, writing-intensive advanced laboratory course that focuses on the preparation, isolation, purification, and characterization of organic, organometallic, and inorganic compounds. Students are expected to use the techniques learned in the introductory organic chemistry laboratory and will learn more advanced techniques such as the use of air-free and anhydrous reaction conditions, glove bags, vacuum manifolds, vacuum distillations, flash chromatography, solvent stills, and gas-tight syringes. Molecular modeling techniques are also introduced. Students are given hands-on access to instrumentation for the characterization of synthetic products or organic unknowns using standard analysis methods such as IR, NMR, UV/V is spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, polarimetry, HPLC, GC and GC-MS. Students are expected to search the chemical literature using databases and online journals and to write formal lab reports in ACS style. The lab assignments include syntheses, separating an unknown mixture, and a team project, which includes a written proposal, synthetic work, a final report, and a poster presentation.