Lab

Objective To perform a non-conventional hydrogenation of a vegetable oil (olive, palm, sunflower seed, etc.) to produce margarine. Background Margarine has traditionally been manufactured by hydrogenation of vegetable oils (olive, palm, sunflower seed, etc.) by an industrial process for converting these oils into a solid, stable, and spreadable substance. The procedure followed in this experiment … Read more

Objective To obtain benzoic acid by oxidation of alkyl functional groups from aromatic compounds using potasium permanganate (KMnO4). Background The alkyl chains attached to aromatic rings are likely to be oxidized to acid if they have at least one hydrogen at the benzyl position. Permanganate is an oxidizing agent widely used both in organic and … Read more

Objective To acquaint students with the free-radical halogenation reactions, in particular a bromination using N-bromosuccinimide (NBS). Background N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) is used as a highly specific bromination agent both in free-radical substitutions and in electrophilic additions of unsaturated systems, because releases small quantities of bromine. Anthracene can be brominated at position 9 by a radical process. … Read more

Objective To prepare various esters at a microscale with applications in the fragrance industry by combining different carboxylic acids and alcohols that are selected because they are common in Organic Chemistry laboratory experiments. Background Esters are compunds with the following general formula R-C(=O)O-R’ formula. They result from by a reaction between a carboxylic acid and … Read more

Objective Synthesis of racemic 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol by an oxidative coupling reaction in aqueous media. Background 1,1′-Bi-2-naphthol is a compound that can be used as a ligand for transition- metal. 1,1′-Bi-2-naphthol is an example of molecule that presents atropisomers. Enantiomeric pure complex of such derivatives can be used as a catalyst in some asymmetric syntheses but may … Read more

Objective To synthesize in water 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium derivative, which has the property of being a ionic liquid. Background The so-called ionic liquids are salts in which at least one of their components is an organic compound that has a delocalized charge. This characteristic prevents the formation of stable crystal lattices because both the cation and the anion are … Read more

Objective Recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by a depolymerization reaction and use of the product for the synthesis of a diester of high added value. Background A large number of synthetic polymers are materials that are usually obtained from monomers originating from the petrochemical industry.   Once the lifetimecycle of objects made from polymers has expired, … Read more

Objective To perform one-pot synthesis of a tetrahydropyrimidinone by a three-component reaction (Biginelli reaction). Background The Biginelli reaction, first described in 1893, is a three-component reaction between an aldehyde, a β-ketoester, and urea to yield in a one-pot procedure dihydropyrimidones. This reaction is a quick and easy method to synthesize heterocycles, compounds with a great … Read more

Objective To perform a C−C coupling reaction (Suzuki reaction) in aqueous medium to obtain a bisphenyl derivative. Background The Suzuki reaction allows the formation of C−C bonds of type σ under mild conditions and with good yields from a boronic acid or ester and vinyl or aryl halide in basic medium, in the presence of … Read more