1 INTRODUCTION TO THE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY Course Coordinator: Dr. Meena Rao Office: Altschul 715 Phone: 854-8465 E-mail: [email protected]Office Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, Tuesdays and Fridays Lab Instructors: Craig S. Allen, Mandy Bennett, Toby Holtz, Grace Lee Help Room: Altschul 806 (for lab-related questions only) Monday – Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Friday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon REQUIRED TEXT AND MATERIALS 1. Chemistry 3328 Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory Manual (Spring 2012 Edition). 2. Two (2) hardbound notebooks. 3. Molecular Models. 4. Calculator. OPTIONAL TEXTS (On Reserve in Lehman Library) 1. Most, C.F., Experimental Organic Chemistry (Wiley, 1988). 2. Zubrick, J.W., The Organic Chem Lab Survival Manual, 6 th ed. (Wiley, 2004). 3. Pavia, D.L., Lampman, G.M., and Kriz, G.S., Introduction to Organic Laboratory Techniques, 2 nd ed. (Saunders, 1982). 4. Williamson, K.L., Microscale and Macroscale Organic Experiments, 2 nd ed. (D.C. Heath, 1994). 5. Jones, M., Organic Chemistry, 3 rd or 4 th ed. (Norton). GRADING Final grades will be based on completed laboratory reports (75%), and final examination (25%). As noted, a major emphasis will be placed on successful completion and write-up of each experiment. Erroneous, incomplete, or less than optimal results may be penalized in some cases, but grades may be partially
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INTRODUCTION TO THE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY Course Coordinator: Dr. Meena Rao Office: Altschul 715
3. Pavia, D.L., Lampman, G.M., and Kriz, G.S., Introduction to Organic
Laboratory Techniques, 2nd ed. (Saunders, 1982).
4. Williamson, K.L., Microscale and Macroscale Organic Experiments, 2nd ed.
(D.C. Heath, 1994).
5. Jones, M., Organic Chemistry, 3rd or 4th ed. (Norton).
GRADING Final grades will be based on completed laboratory reports (75%), and final
examination (25%). As noted, a major emphasis will be placed on successful
completion and write-up of each experiment. Erroneous, incomplete, or less than
optimal results may be penalized in some cases, but grades may be partially
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redeemed upon satisfactory explanation of the source of the error. Each
laboratory report will be graded using a uniform scale and returned promptly.
Laboratory notebooks are due the week following completion of the experiment
(see experiment schedule). NO EXCEPTIONS! Late penalties will be assessed.
Illegible reports obviously cannot be graded. Please review the section on
Laboratory Notebooks and Reports in this lab manual for more details on how to
write a proper laboratory report. Remember that a concise, well-written
laboratory report may be a major factor in obtaining good grades.
ATTENDANCE In order to receive a grade for this course, you must complete and submit
laboratory reports for all the experiments. Any excused absences must be
cleared with Dr. Rao. The relative tightness of the schedule and of laboratory
space prevents students from randomly changing sections. Therefore, any
section changes must be approved by Dr. Rao. We encourage you to make
every effort to stay within your chosen section. There will be no make-ups for
missed labs unless permission is granted BEFORE the day of the lab by the
course coordinator (Dr. Rao).
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LABORATORY NOTEBOOKS AND REPORTS A. Administrative Details You will need two bound, hard cover notebooks. Notebooks with completed
experimental write-ups should be handed in according to the schedule given on
page 9.
Graded books will be available as follows:
In Altschul 806 In Lab
Monday section: 11-12 Friday 3-5 Friday
Tuesday section: 12-1 Monday 3-5 Monday
Wednesday sections: 12-1 Tuesday 3-5 Tuesday
Thursday section: 12-1 Wednesday 3-5 Wednesday
Friday section: 12-1 Thursday 3-5 Thursday
Lab notebooks for make-ups are due one week after make-up day.
B. Reasons for Keeping a Well-Organized Laboratory Notebook Laboratory work in science requires certain talents. However, no matter how
talented a researcher might be in devising and carrying out experiments, her
work will have no impact upon the scientific community unless she can
communicate her thoughts and work to others. Thus, along with talent in the
laboratory, a competent researcher must be able to organize, analyze, and
convey her results and conclusions to others. The basis for good scientific
communication is a clear, concise, and organized record of the work which has
been carried out in the laboratory. To fulfill this requirement, any well-organized
format for a laboratory notebook is sufficient. However, in a course in which the
work of many students has to be evaluated by a small number of instructors,
efficiency and accuracy of evaluation require a certain uniformity of format.
When evaluators know where to find the required information, they can focus
their major effort on the work and on giving students suggestions on how to
improve their laboratory work and reports. Consequently, a specific order and
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placement of information is outlined in the following section. By following this
outline, you will assure that your work will receive maximum consideration.
C. Format for Chemistry 3328 Lab Notebooks 1. General Format and Procedures
a. On the front cover and bottom edges of each book, write your name
and laboratory day, and clearly designate each book as either A or B.
b. Number all the pages (both left- and right-hand) starting with number 1
in each book.
c. Reserve the first two numbered pages of each book for the Table of
Contents. During the semester enter the name of each experiment,
the date on which it was done, and the pages on which it was
recorded.
d. Each page that is used to record procedure, observations, or results
obtained in the laboratory should be dated to indicate the day the
experiment was done.
e. Before leaving the laboratory each day, books must be initialed by an
instructor. Any procedure or data entered after the initials will not be
considered in evaluating the experimental report.
2. Format for Experimental Reports The following outline presents essentially all items which might be required in
any experiment. Some experiments may not require all items, but the order
and position (left- or right-hand page) of sections should always be as
indicated.
a. Title of the experiment A new experiment should always be started on a clean pair of left- and
right-hand pages. The title should be at the top of the left-hand page.
b. Prelab Assignments – Table of Physical Constants
This is a written exercise to be completed before each laboratory
period. It is a list of names, structures, formulae, as well as important
physical and chemical properties** of the compounds used in the
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experiment. These tables should be completed in the notebook
immediately following the title.
**Very Important: List only the properties that you think you are going
to use in your experiment. For example, if you are going to distill the
compound you prepared, then you should know the boiling points of all
the compounds that are involved in this reaction. However, it is
irrelevant what the densities and refractive indices are, if these
properties are not used to identify the compounds.
c. Equations
When chemical reactions occur, balanced equations for the reactions
should be written using structural formulae (NOT condensed formulae)
of the organic compounds. Equations should be placed on the right-
hand page opposite the title and Table of Physical Constants.
d. Procedure and Observations / Data Procedural steps should be sequentially numbered and written on the
left-hand page, after both the equations and table. (Start on the first
pair of pages that are not written on.) Demonstrations for most of the
experiments are available as a multimedia guide under the Chemistry
Department website. Please view the demonstration before writing the
Procedure. The steps should be separated by at least one line to allow
for any modifications which might be necessary in the laboratory.
Procedure steps should be concise, complete sentences. The narrative
should be in the third person passive. (E.g., “The two solutions were
mixed and heated to boiling.”) Procedure should be written as part of
the prelab assignment for each experiment and must be done before
coming to lab. It should be clear, legible, and complete enough to
permit any chemist to repeat your work easily by following your
notebook description of what was done.
Observations of procedures should appear on the right-hand page
directly opposite the procedural steps (as much as possible) and be
designated with the same numbers of the procedural steps to which
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they refer. If more space is needed, numbered results may be
continued on following right-hand pages. Observations may be used as
indications that an experiment is progressing smoothly. Remember
the observations you made for qualitative analysis in the general
chemistry lab. Continue to do the same!
Data accumulated in the lab, such as weights, volumes, melting points,
boiling points, drawings of TLC plates, etc., should be included as a
part of Observations. The name and make of any instrument used
should always be noted. Whenever possible, data should be reported in concise, carefully constructed tables.
e. Calculations and Summary of Results
This section should begin on the next right-hand page after Procedure
and Observations/Data. It should be continued only on the following
right-hand pages. Graphs and organized results comprise the type of
material required here. Calculations should be shown on the facing
left-hand pages. Always include a Results table with relevant
experimental values, e.g., melting points, percentage recovery or yield,
etc. The information should be clearly labeled so that it can be readily
cited in the Discussion section. f. Answers to Questions
Answers to the questions in the lab manual should be concise and to
the point. These answers should be written on consecutive right-hand
pages. All calculations used in reaching quantitative results should be
shown on the facing left-hand pages. Excessively long and wandering
responses, which attempt to include all information that might be
relevant to the question in hopes of hitting something that is correct,
will not be graded.
g. Discussion and Conclusions
Discussions and Conclusions are required after each experiment, even
if you have already given this information as part of your answers to
the Questions. For some experiments, the main points to be included
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in your Discussion are indicated in the Questions, and/or Discussions
and Conclusions, of the experiment.
This section should follow the Summary of Results section. It should
contain the final conclusions you draw from the experiments and a very
brief explanation of how they were reached. Lengthy explanations that
are not to the point will be penalized! Important items to be included
are theoretical background, % yield, identities of unknowns, TLC data,
comparison of physical properties to the literature values, etc.
If an unexpected or disappointing result is obtained, then a brief
explanation should be given as to why you think or know that this
happened.
h. References
This section should follow the Discussion and Conclusion section and
should contain references, with page number or section designations,
to all sources used in preparing the lab write-up, including the
Laboratory Manual, Handbooks, and any on-line references. Please
see details of the format on pages 94 and 95.
Honor Code All laboratory reports must be completed independently and should
represent your own thoughts and ideas. Copying another student’s
work is a violation of the Barnard College Honor Code.
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A DIAGRAM OF PROPER LAB FORMAT IS GIVEN BELOW:
Left-hand page
P.# DATE TITLE Table of Physical Constants* New Page Procedure 1. 2. 3. etc. New Page Calculations
Right-hand page
P.# DATE Equations Observations/Data 1. 2. 3. etc. Results Answers to Questions Discussion and Conclusions References
*You may use both left-hand and right-hand pages for the Table of Physical
Constants, if needed.
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Experiment Schedule Chemistry BC 3328y
Spring 2012
Days & Dates Experiments Books Due Dates
1 Tu 1/17 – F 1/20 Introduction —— ————
2 M 1/23 – F 1/27 Melting Points A M 1/30 – F 2/3
3 M 1/30 – F 2/3 Recrystallization B M 2/6 – F 2/10
4 M 2/6 – F 2/10 Thin-Layer Chromatography A M 2/13 – F 2/17
5 M 2/13 – F 2/17 Isomerization of Dimethyl Maleate
B M 2/20 – F 2/24
6 M 2/20 – F 2/24 Column Chromatography A M 2/27 – F 3/2
7 M 2/27 – F 3/2 Extraction (1)* B ————
8 M 3/5 – F 3/9
Extraction (2)*
Distillation
B
Special
M 3/19 – F 3/23
M 3/26 – F 3/30
9 M 3/12 – F 3/16 Spring Recess
10 M 3/19 – F 3/23 Reduction of Camphor (1)* A ————
11 M 3/26 – F 3/30 Reduction of Camphor (2)* A M 4/2 – F 4/6
12 M 4/2 – F 4/6 Dehydration of an Alcohol B M 4/9 – F 4/13
13 M 4/9 – F 4/13 Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions
A M 4/16– F 4/20
14 F 4/20/12** Final Exam
* Experiment or analysis of product done over two weeks.
** Please keep this schedule in mind when making travel arrangements! All notebooks will be collected at the Final Examination.
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LABORATORY REGULATIONS
YOU MAY NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WORK IN THE LABORATORY OUTSIDE OF YOUR ASSIGNED LABORATORY PERIOD WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE INSTRUCTOR.
A. Safety goggles must be worn at all times. It is not advisable to wear contact lenses in the laboratory. Reading glasses are
not appropriate. If chemicals come in contact with your eyes, flush copiously with
water for at least five minutes. (Eyewash stations will be demonstrated during the
safety lecture.)
B. Lab coats should be worn when working in the laboratory. C. Accidents: First aid is essential. Flush all chemical splashes with copious amounts of water. Use eyewash
stations for chemicals in your eyes and apply handfuls of water to clothing. Also
wash out liberally with water. Consult with the instructor concerning further
treatment.
D. Fire Hazards 1. No burners are to be used for heating in this laboratory. All heating will be
done with steam baths, hot baths, or electric heating mantles. The
solvents used in the laboratory, such as alcohols, ethers, petroleum ether,
etc., are highly flammable. All solvents must be kept away from flames.
2. NO SMOKING IN THE LABORATORY OR ANYWHERE IN THIS
BUILDING.
3. In case of fire, REMAIN CALM! Most fires are contained in beakers or
flasks and can be easily smothered by covering with a watch glass or
fireproof plate. More extensive flames should be smothered using a
carbon dioxide extinguisher. Since water does not dissolve many organic
solvents, it will not extinguish most fires, but will cause them to spread.
So do not use water on a fire.
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E. General Safety 1. Keep long hair tied back, out of the way of chemicals and equipment.
2. Beware of hot glassware. Do not touch until it has had time to cool.
3. To insert glass tubes or thermometers through rubber stoppers or
adapters, first lubricate with glycerin or stopcock grease; hold the glass
with a towel, cloth, or other hand protection. Hold the glass tube or
thermometer near the end being inserted.
4. No food or drink in the laboratory at any time! F. Laboratory Neatness
NEATNESS is essential for safety and for efficient work in the laboratory.
1. Keep the lab uncluttered by leaving unnecessary items in the locker. Push
back the chairs and stools to their position after using them.
2. If you spill anything on a balance pan or in the balance area, clean it up
immediately and leave a clean balance for your neighbor. Balance doors
should be closed after using the balance. Please cooperate.
3. If you spill acids, bases, or other corrosive chemicals, inform the instructor
and wash contaminated surfaces with copious amounts of water, and
then neutralize as directed by the instructor.
G. Use of Reagents Ref: Read Most, C.F., pp. 12-27.
1. USE REAGENT BOTTLES ONLY IN THE AREA WHERE THEY ARE
PROVIDED. Solid reagents for this course will be set out on shelves at
the front of the room, and occasionally in the hood. Corrosive liquid
reagents will be in the hood or on trays.
2. Take no more of the reagent than you need.
3. If by accident you take an excess amount of reagent, share it with a fellow
student or dispose of the excess in the appropriate chemical waste
container. NEVER POUR ANYTHING BACK INTO A REAGENT
BOTTLE.
4. No chemicals may be taken out of the laboratory.
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5. Cleaning of glassware—Rinse all glassware used for organic compounds
with a small amount of acetone into a beaker for waste in your hood.
Discard this organic waste in the appropriate waste containers.
6. Always dispose of chemicals properly in the designated containers or
according to instructions.
a. Pour organic liquids (e.g., dichloromethane, diethyl ether, petroleum
ether, etc.) into the designated organic waste containers.
b. Dispose of solids in the Solid Waste container, and throw paper refuse
in the lab wastebaskets.
H. Use, Care and Replacement of Laboratory Equipment 1. Water tends to rust equipment and also to cause drawers to swell so that
they cannot be opened without great difficulty. Consequently, if you spill
water in a drawer, immediately take time to dry it carefully. Also, do not
store sponges in your drawer.
2. Separatory funnels, distillation columns, and thermometers are very
expensive. They should always be put away clean and with stoppers out.
3. Normal breakage is covered by the lab fee. However, certain pieces of
apparatus are expensive, and excess breakage will be billed to you.
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EXPERIMENT 1 MELTING POINTS
A. PRELAB ASSIGNMENT 1. Prepare a Table of Physical Constants in your notebook listing, in order,
structure, formulae, and melting point ranges of the following substances:
(This table should follow the experiment title on the first left-hand page of
the experiment.)
a. Benzoic acid
b. Biphenyl
c. 4-Bromobenzophenone
d. 2,4-Dichlorobenzaldehyde
e. (d,l)-α-Hydroxy-phenylacetic acid [(d,l)-mandelic acid]
(Be sure to look up (d,l), not just d or just l.) f. Propanedioic acid (malonic acid)
g. Urea
h. Vanillin (also called vanillan or hydroquinone methyl ether)
Prepare tables to record melting points in the Data/Observation section,
as follows:
Substance Melting Point Range (°C)
A
B
A + B
Unknown
Possibility 1 (P1)
Possibility 2 (P2)
Unknown
Unknown + P1
Unknown + P2
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B. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND Theoretical Definition of Melting Point The melting point of a solid is the temperature at which the solid and its liquid
form are in equilibrium, i.e., molecules move back and forth between the two
states at the same rate, so both phases remain present. If the temperature of
a solid is measured carefully as the solid is heated, the temperature will be
observed to rise until the melting point (m.p.) of the solid is reached, and then
the temperature will remain almost constant while the solid melts. The heat
absorbed during melting is the “heat of fusion,” the energy needed to move
the molecules out of the crystal lattice of the solid. When the solid has
completely melted, the addition of more heat again contributes to an increase
in the temperature of the sample, now a liquid. This describes the melting of a
pure solid. The melting point is characteristic of the compound, independent
of source, purification procedure, etc., and is useful in identifying the
compound. However, many different compounds have identical or very similar
melting points.
Functional Definition of Melting Point Strictly speaking, the melting point is never a “point”. It is invariably a narrow
range, about 1 °C for most compounds, but 0.5 °C for some, 1.5 – 2.0 °C for
others. Part of the range is an experimental artifact. Since heat transfer is
often uneven, all parts of a solid sample are unlikely to be at the same
temperature simultaneously. While some regions of the sample may be at the
melting point (solid and liquid in equilibrium), other regions may be at slightly
higher or lower temperatures. Thus, visible melting will occur over a range of
temperatures. Therefore, the proper report of a melting point is the
temperature range from the first visible appearance of liquid (distinguished
from “softening” of the crystal) to the disappearance of the last visible crystal
of solid. The end is the most important point, but the whole range is needed
for full interpretation (e.g. benzoic acid, mp = 120 – 121.5 °C).
Melting points for many organic compounds may be found in the CRC
Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. These “literature” melting points are
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taken from reports in the chemical literature and indicate the melting range or
upper end of the melting range of very pure samples of compounds.
Consequently, these values are the highest values that can be expected for
each compound. (See below for effects of impurities on melting points.)
In some cases, more than one melting point will be listed for a single
compound. This usually means that the compound can exist in more than one
type of crystal lattice and that the different types have different stabilities and
thus will break down at different temperatures.
Effects of an “Impurity” If two different compounds, A and B, are intimately mixed, the melting point
behavior of the mixture differs from that of either pure compound. When a
small portion of B is mixed with A, the upper limit of the melting point range of
A is lowered. Increasing the amount of B in A continuously decreases the
upper limit of the melting range of the resultant mixture until such point that B
ceases to be the impurity in A, and A then becomes the impurity in B. The
point at which this occurs is called the eutectic; the eutectic temperature and
composition of a mixture varies with the nature of the components A and B.
Figure 1. Melting Curves of Mixtures of A and B
Pure A m.p. Pure B
m.p.
Temp
0% B Composition 100% B 100% A 0% A
Eutectic point
Legend Upper limit of melting range Observed lower limit of melting range Actual lower limit of melting range (Eutectic temperature)
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The melting point of a eutectic mixture is below that of either pure A or pure B
and is the lowest temperature at which any mixture of A and B can melt. The
lower limit of the melting range of all mixtures of A and B is actually equal to
the eutectic temperature because that part of the mixtures which is of the
eutectic composition melts at the eutectic temperature. Actual observation of
the true lower limit is difficult in all mixtures and impossible in mixtures
containing little of one component. In most mixtures, the small amount of
material that consists of the eutectic composition, and therefore melts first, is
obscured by the relatively large amount of remaining “pure” component. The
upper limit of the melting range is more readily observed, since it is much
easier to note the disappearance of the last crystal in the liquid than
appearance of the first drop of liquid in the mass of solid. The upper limit of
the melting range of a compound containing an impurity is always lower than
that of the pure compound.
Mixed Melting Points The melting point of a compound is a physical characteristic often used to
identify the compound and provide information about its purity. Pure
compounds melt sharply. The presence of an impurity in a sample lowers the
upper end of the melting range and very often causes the observed melting
range to be wider than that of the pure compound. Therefore, if two samples
of similar melting point are intimately mixed, and the melting point of the
mixture is not “depressed” or “broadened,” the two samples are the same
compound. If two samples are mixed, and the m.p. of the mixture is
depressed and possibly broadened, the two samples cannot be the same
compound. When attempting to identify a compound by the mixed melting
point method, it is critical to observe the melting behavior of the unknown and
standard side by side with the mixture. The procedure gives a direct
comparison of the mixture with the standards and allows you to easily
observe any variation of melting behavior between samples under your
experimental conditions. It is also useful to test a second possibility to assure
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that under the conditions of your experiment the technique is capable of
distinguishing between different compounds.
General Procedures a. Filling the Melting Point Capillary Tube
Points to remember: Use the spatula attached to each bottle to take small
samples (the tip of the spatula) on labeled pieces of paper. To avoid
contamination, never return excess samples to bottles; instead, share with a
neighbor. Grind the samples several times with a spatula on weighing paper
to form a fine powder. This will facilitate uniform heat transfer throughout the
sample. If melting points are to be compared, they should be taken side by
side when possible. Fill one m.p. capillary tube for each sample or each
mixture, and store all tubes in slits in labeled papers.
b. The Melting Point The melting point in a capillary tube is taken as the temperature range
between the appearance of the first droplet and the disappearance of the last
crystal. A shrinking or sintering may be visible a few degrees below the m.p.
The actual melting range should be determined slowly over a period of 30
sec. This can be achieved by adjusting the heating rate to 2 °C/min. (See
Section C below, Use of Hoover M.P. Apparatus.) Even under carefully
controlled conditions, slight variations in experimental m.p. can occur.
c. Use of the Hoover Melting Point Apparatus
The Hoover m.p. apparatus used in our laboratories contains a beaker filled
with silicone oil, which is electrically heated and stirred. The melting point
tube rests on a platform that is illuminated and viewed with a lens.
To use the apparatus:
1. Turn power switch on.
2. Insert your melting point tube into the holes in the top of the apparatus
(there is room for 5 tubes).
Never leave the apparatus unattended with the heater on! 3. Turn stirrer to the highest setting that does not cause excessive bubbles.
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4. Turn heater dial to a setting that will cause the rate of heating to be
2 °C/min during the melting of the compound. This slow heating is
important since, if the rate of temperature change is too rapid, the
experimental m.p. will generally be too high. If the heating is too rapid, the
temperature will usually change significantly between the time that the last
crystal melts and the time that the temperature is read from the
thermometer. The appropriate setting varies from one apparatus to
another. Generally, a heater dial setting of anywhere from 3 to 4 will give
the proper heating rate for compounds melting at 135 °C, i.e., the actual
melting point process will take 30 seconds to occur. If, after melting is
complete, the temperature continues to rise spontaneously more than 5
°C, the heating was too rapid, and the melting point is inaccurate and
should be repeated using a lower setting on the heater dial.
In order to approximate the proper dial setting, one must have a rough
idea of the melting point of the compound. If you know the identity of the
compound, look up the expected melting point in your Table of Physical
Constants. If the compound is an unknown or a mixture, do a rapid melting
point determination to get the approximate melting point range, i.e.,
determine the melting point very roughly as being 120 or 140 degrees
Celsius, etc. Then cool down the m.p. apparatus to about 20 degrees
Celsius below the expected melting point, set the heater dial to give a
heating rate of 2 °C/min at the expected melting point, and determine the
melting range of another sample precisely.
Important: The range from first liquid to the melting of the last crystal is the
m.p., but only solid in contact with liquid is watched, not solid above the
melt.
5. Record the melting ranges of samples and discard the used capillary
tubes in the designated containers.
6. Turn all dials back to zero and turn power switch off.
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A. PROCEDURE FOR THE LAB PERIOD Check in – Do this as time permits.
Check each item in your drawer and cupboard against the Check List. Be sure all
glassware is clean and unbroken. There is a labeled display of apparatus
available in the laboratory. On a separate sheet of paper, make a list of missing
items, so that the instructor can get them for you; include your name and desk
number. Sign your check list and return it to the instructor.
Melting Points 1. Standard compounds and unknown compounds will be available on the
reagent shelf.
2. To observe the effect of mixing two different compounds of similar m.p.,
prepare one capillary tube with pure A, one with a 1:1 mixture of A and B (well
mixed), and one with pure B.
3. Identification of your unknown.
Record the number of your unknown and then prepare a capillary for
determining its melting point. The sample will be used to determine a rough
melting point, so that you can choose the two best possibilities from the
standards for further comparison.
4. Attach melting point tubes prepared in steps 2 and 3 to labeled slits in paper
(in the order listed in your data table). Take the tubes to an available Hoover
apparatus and insert the tubes in the order shown in your data table. To save
time, heat the oil rapidly (setting of 4 or less) until thermometer reads 50 °C,
then turn the dial down to a setting of about 2, which should establish the
2°/min increase in temperature. Once this rate is attained, gradually increase
the dial setting as necessary to maintain the 2 °C/min rate. As the samples
melt, record the melting range of each sample directly in the table in your lab
notebook.
5. Your unknown is one of the compounds listed in your prelab assignment.
Devise a procedure to identify your unknown by mixed melting point method.
Describe this procedure in your notebook. Record all data in a table on the
page opposite the procedure. One possible plan is to compare the melting
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point of your unknown against those listed in your Table of Physical
Constants. When comparing melting point values, experimental results should
be obtained side by side when possible. At least two known compounds
should be tried.
Report your Results in a tabular format. (For this experiment, this may mean recopying your Data table.)
Waste Disposal Discard used melting point capillaries in designated beakers near the Hoover
apparatus.
Discard excess unknown used to prepare the samples (on weighing paper) in
the Solid Waste container. Discard paper in the trash.
D. QUESTIONS 1. In one sentence, describe the effect on the melting point of mixing two
different compounds of similar m.p.
2. Identify your unknown. Give the reasoning that lead to your conclusion.
(Be brief.)
3. An unknown compound A (mp = 130 – 131 °C) is mixed with another
unknown compound B (mp = 130 – 131 °C). The mixture of A and B melts
at 120 – 126 °C. What conclusion about the identities of A and B can be
drawn from this experiment? Explain.
E. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Discuss your results for both parts of the experiment and draw the
conclusions. Be brief.
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EXPERIMENT 2 RECRYSTALLIZATION
A. PRELAB ASSIGNMENT 1. Prepare a Table of Physical Constants in your lab notebook listing structures,
formulae, molecular weights, and solubilities for each of the following, and boiling
points of solvents, and melting point of solute.
Solvents: toluene, methanol, water
Solute: triphenylmethane
2. Copy the table given on p. 23 in the Observations section of your notebook,
opposite the Procedure for the Solubility Tests.
B. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND Recrystallization is one of the most important purification techniques used in
organic chemistry. Recrystallization is used to purify solids contaminated by
relatively small amounts of solid impurities. Compounds having different
solubilities at different temperatures can generally be recrystallized. For most
compounds, the solubility increases as the temperature of the solvent increases.
In practice, this means that a suitable solvent for recrystallization is one in which
there is a large difference between the solubility of the compound in hot solvent
compared with that in cold solvent. A compound which dissolves to form a
saturated solution at or near the boiling point of a suitable solvent can be largely
recovered since it will come out of the solvent, or recrystallize, when the solution
is cooled. If the compound is impure, removal of insoluble impurities (by gravity
filtration) is accomplished with the desired product dissolved in the hot solution.
Other impurities remain largely dissolved even when the solution is cooled
because they are more soluble and/or present in much smaller amounts than the
desired product. Recrystallizations are designed, by proper use of solvents, to
maximize the yield and purity, although the degree of recovery and quality often
vary inversely.
22
Choice of a suitable solvent: 1. The desired compound should be very soluble in the hot solvent.
2. The desired compound is very insoluble in the cold solvent.
3. The solvent should be easily removable (fairly volatile) from the desired
product.
Choice of a solvent pair: Sometimes no single solvent can fill the requirements of suitability. In such
cases, two miscible solvents (solvent pair) can be combined to produce a
suitable solvent. Criteria for solvents in a solvent pair are:
1. The desired compound will be relatively soluble in solvent #1 even when
the solvent is cold.
2. The compound will be relatively insoluble in solvent #2 even when the
solvent is hot.
3. Solvent #1 and solvent #2 must be miscible.
A combination of two miscible solvents as described will often provide a solvent
pair in which there is a large difference between the solubility of the compound in
hot and cold solvent.
Solubility
The theory of solubility is simplistically described by the phrase “like dissolves
like,” i.e., solutes tend to dissolve in solvents of similar, or like polarity. Some
commonly used solvents for recrystallization are pentane, hexane, toluene, ethyl
acetate, ethanol, methanol, and water.
In this experiment, we will use toluene, methanol, and water as solvents. Of
these solvents, toluene is the least polar, and water is the most polar.
23
C. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Before beginning the actual experiment, place your stemless funnel in the drying
oven, to be used later in step 4(b). (Do not use tape or stickers as labels.)
The normal procedure for the purification of a compound by recrystallization is to
predict its solubility on the basis of its structure and then to test its solubility in a
variety of convenient solvents. Once a suitable solvent is found, that compound
can be recrystallized.
Copy the following table as the first item in your Observations on the right-hand
page opposite the procedure for this step.
Water Methanol Toluene Solute Room Temp.
Hot Ice Room Temp.
Hot Ice Room Temp.
Hot Ice
Compound C
+++ soluble, all compound dissolved, - insoluble, no dissolution observed ++ moderately soluble, more than half, but not all sample dissolved + slightly soluble, less than half of the sample dissolved.
a. Solubility Tests Find a suitable solvent for the recrystallization of compound C, triphenylmethane. Test the solubility of pure compound C in all three
solvents. The solubility tests should be done side by side. Place about 20 mg
of solute, the tip of a spatula full, in each of three test tubes (one for each
solvent). Add about 1 mL of solvent to each test tube and grind the solute to
subdivide the particles as much as possible. Observe and note the amount of
solid, not yet drawing conclusions about solubility. Heat test tubes with stirring
in a steam bath. Even very soluble compounds may take several minutes to
dissolve; however, prolonged heating may result in evaporation of solvent.
Take care to distinguish melting from dissolving; a solute with melting point
below the temperature of the steam bath or boiling point of the solvent (see
your Table of Physical Constants) may melt yet not dissolve, or melt first and
then dissolve. Observe the amount of solid remaining, if any, in the hot
solvent, and record your estimation of solubility in the table. Place the test
24
tube in an ice bath and observe and note the amount of recrystallized
product, if any.
Refer to the structures of the solvents and solute to give a tentative prediction
of the solubilities on the basis of polarity. This will help you develop a sense
of lab work as you compare theoretical prediction with actual result.
Remember, as you fill in the table, that the results are a matter of degree,
judged more by correct trend than by actual number of ‘+’s and ‘-‘s. Record
your Results in the Solubility Table in your notebook. When you have found a
solvent suitable for the recrystallization of C, confirm your choice of solvent
with your instructor, and proceed with the recrystallization.
b. Recrystallization of Compound C
Plan ahead. Obtain about 90 mL of the most suitable solvent found. (Use a
250 mL flask and keep it covered.)
1. Weigh about 3 g impure C (note the exact amount to four decimal places)
into a 125 mL Erlenmeyer flask on an analytical balance. Record the
weight to four decimal places. Add a boiling chip (boiling chips should
never be added to a hot solution). Dissolve this sample of impure C in the
minimum volume of suitable hot solvent necessary to dissolve the desired
product and soluble impurities. Watch for insoluble impurities, which do
not change in amount no matter how much solvent is added. Too much
solvent will reduce recovery, unless extra time is spent evaporating the
excess. Mark the final solvent level on the outside of your flask with a wax
pencil.
2. Add an extra 20 mL of solvent to the Erlenmeyer to avoid premature
crystallization of the desired product on the filter paper during step 4.(c) below. This extra amount will be evaporated before recrystallization is
allowed to take place (in step 5, below).
3. If colored impurities are present, add an adsorbent such as Norite (finely
divided carbon), which adsorbs colored compounds onto its surface.
Once again, judgment is required, since too much Norite will adsorb not
25
only the colored impurity, but the desired product as well, reducing yield.
Do not add Norite to a boiling solution; it will erupt! Cool slightly and
add roughly two level scoop tipfuls. Reheat the solution to boiling.
4. To remove the insoluble impurities, Norite, and adsorbed colored
impurities, the solution should be filtered hot, according to the following
procedure:
The following procedure must be done quickly and efficiently, so that glassware stays hot and the loss of solvent by evaporation is kept to a minimum. (a) Stir and boil the recrystallization mixture on the side of the steam
bath. At the same time, heat about 30 mL of solvent in a 50 mL flask
on the side of the bath.
(b) Remove the stemless funnel from the oven, and suspend it on a ring
with the funnel tip inside the mouth of a 125 mL receiving flask located
on the center of the bath. Use a paper towel to handle the hot funnel;
place a few boiling chips in the receiving flask. Insert a fluted filter
paper, and wet it with a little hot solvent.
(c) Immediately pour the boiling mixture into the filter. Fill it no more than
1 cm from the top. As the filtration proceeds, keep the mixture boiling,
and keep the filter nearly full (no more than 1 cm from the top) of hot
liquid.
(d) When the flask is “emptied,” rinse it with two 5 mL portions of hot
solvent. Pour each rinse through the funnel in order to collect as much
product as possible.
(e) Discard the solid residue in the Solid Waste container. Discard the
filter paper in the trash.
5. The filtered solution must be concentrated, since excess solvent was used
in step 2 above to avoid premature crystallization. Do this step only if the
level of the filtered solution is above the original mark. Maximum recovery
will result if the hot solution is close to saturation at this point. A saturated
solution is one that has dissolved all the solute that it can hold at a given
26
temperature. Place a take-off tube over the flask and evaporate solvent on
a steam bath until the level reaches the volume that you marked on the
original flask in step 1 (p. 24). (See diagram on the last page of this
manual.)
6. When the solution is concentrated, remove the take-off tube and reheat
the solution to a full boil. Make sure that all solid is dissolved. Then
carefully set the covered solution aside and allow it to recrystallize until it
cools to room temperature. While the solution is cooling, set up the suction
filtration apparatus. Also, cool about 10 mL of fresh solvent in a small
beaker in an ice bath (to be used in steps 7 and 8, below).
7. Cool the solution in an ice bath for about 10 minutes. Scrape the crystals
off the walls, swirl the flask, and slowly pour the mixture into the Büchner
funnel. As soon as the bulk of the liquid has been sucked through,
disconnect the suction hose. Use a small amount of ice-cold solvent to aid
in completing the transfer of recrystallized C to the Büchner funnel. Wash
the product. With the suction off, cover the surface of the crystals with a
minimum volume of ice-cold fresh solvent. Immediately turn the suction
on. Repeat, if necessary, keeping in mind that some C is lost with each
wash. Pour all filtrates into the non-halogenated waste container.
8. Cover the Büchner funnel containing the solid with a Kimwipe and secure
with a rubber band. Make a few holes in the Kimwipe to permit the
crystals to air dry. Store the covered Büchner funnel in a beaker.
Steps 9 and 10 should be done only after C is dry (at least 24 hours).
9. Weigh an empty vial (this is called the “tare” weight), add the purified C,
and reweigh. Record the weights. Label the vial with your name, the
identity of contents, i.e., “Purified Triphenylmethane,” lab day, weight of
product, and melting point of contents.
10. Determine the melting points of recrystallized C, the original impure C, and
pure C (on reagent shelf) side by side and record the values.
11. Calculate the % recovery.
27
12. Place the vial containing the recrystallized product in the box for your lab
day on the front desk.
D. QUESTIONS 1. Given the solubility results shown in the table below, choose the most suitable
solvent or solvent pair for each solute. Neither water nor ethanol is miscible
with ligroine (mixed hexanes), and water does not mix with toluene.
Solubility Data
water ethanol toluene ligroine Compound
cold hot cold hot cold hot cold hot
G
H
I
J
-
+++
-
-
+
+++
-
-
-
+++
+++
-
++
+++
+++
-
++
+++
++
+
+++
+++
++
+++
++
-
+
+++
++
-
+
+++
Please keep your answers to the following questions brief.
2. If impure “C” had been a white crystalline solid, should Norite have been used
in the recrystallization? Explain.
3. Why is some “C” lost each time it is washed with fresh cold solvent while in
the Büchner funnel?
4. If the melting point of purified “C” was determined before the sample was
completely dry, what errors would most likely result? Explain.
5. Explain why the suction is turned off before the wash liquid is added to the
Büchner funnel.
6. Naphthalene is an aromatic hydrocarbon with m.p. = 80 °C. Is toluene likely to
be a good solvent for recrystallization of naphthalene? (Hint: Find the
structure of naphthalene. Then refer to your Table of Physical Constants.)
7. 11.00 g of compound X (solubility 1.0 g/100 mL at 0 °C) is contaminated with
1.00 g of compound Y (solubility 1.1 g/100 mL at 0 °C) and 1.00 g of
compound Z (solubility 1.5 g/100 mL at 0 °C). The impure mixture is
28
recrystallized from 70 mL of solvent, cooled to 0 °C, and filtered. (The
collected crystals are called a crop).
Showing your calculations, answer a-g below: (for b and d-f, compare % X in
each).
a. What is the composition (grams of X, Y, and Z) of first crop of crystals?
What is the percentage of X in the first crop?
b. Has the purity of compound X in the first crop improved over that in the
original mixture?
The mother liquor was evaporated to 40 mL, then cooled to 0 °C, and filtered
to obtain a second crop of crystals:
c. What is the composition of the second crop?
d. Is the second crop of compound X as pure as the first crop?
e. Is the second crop of the compound X as pure as the original mixture?
If the original mixture was recrystallized from 90 mL of solvent instead of 70
mL:
f. Would the purity of the first crop increase or decrease?
g. Would the yield of compound X in the first crop increase or decrease?
E. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Draw your own conclusions about the results of this experiment. Some points to
be included are the purity of the given compound before and after
recrystallization and percent recovery. Your discussion should also include a
comment on the polarities.
29
EXPERIMENT 3 THIN LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY
A. PRELAB ASSIGNMENT Prepare a Table of Physical Constants for the following compounds.
Ferrocene Aspirin
2-Nitroaniline Salicylamide
4-Nitroaniline Caffeine
2-Nitrophenol Acetaminophen
(Consult the Merck Index as well as the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics.)
B. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
The theory of chromatography will be discussed in the laboratory lecture.
However, a few points do require emphasis. The most often used stationary
phases, silica gel and alumina, are polar materials. Consequently, the least polar
compound will have the highest Rf value. Increasing the polarity of the eluting
solvent will increase the Rf values of all compounds, but cannot change the
order of the Rf values. If the solvent is too polar, all compounds will follow the
solvent front, Rf = 1.0. Too low a solvent polarity will leave all compounds at the
origin, Rf = 0. Neither of these situations is useful in analyzing mixtures. Usually,
the polarity of the eluting solvent can be adjusted by mixing solvents of different
polarities to yield Rf values between 0.1 and 0.9. Under all conditions, spots of
identical compounds should yield identical Rf values. However, in some
situations, different compounds can also yield identical Rf values. Therefore,
confirmation of the identity of a compound by TLC requires that the compounds
be analyzed against standard compounds under several sets of conditions.
C. GENERAL PROCEDURES 1. Application of Sample
It is best for samples to be applied as small (2-3 mm diameter) spots.
During development of the plate, the spots tend to diffuse, so the final spot
30
becomes considerably larger than the original spot. The larger the final
spot, the more difficult it is to resolve a mixture into completely separate
spots. Conveniently small spots can be obtained by using a fine capillary
tube as an applicator. Compounds or mixtures are applied approximately
1 cm apart in an even line about 1 cm from the bottom of the TLC plate.
2. Development of the Plates
The eluting chamber must be saturated with the eluting solvent vapor. To
assure vapor saturation, a piece of solvent-saturated filter paper is used
as a liner for the chamber. The level of solvent in the bottom of the
chamber must be below the positions of the spots on the plate. Too high a
solvent level will wash the spots off the plate, preventing any meaningful
analysis. The plate is placed into the chamber and the solvent is allowed
to rise up to within 0.5 cm of the top of the silica gel coating. When this
occurs and before the plate is removed from the developing chamber, the
extent of solvent migration (solvent front) is marked on the plate.
3. Visualization of Spots
Colored compounds are easily located on TLC plates. However, the vast
majority of organic molecules are white or colorless, and thus they are
invisible on TLC plates. In such analyses, some method must be used to
make the spots visible. Although several techniques are available, one of
the simplest and most used methods is the I2 (Iodine) visualization
technique. In this process, the TLC plate is placed in an iodine chamber.
Most organic compounds adsorb iodine, and thus, spots of
chromatographed compounds appear as yellow-brown spots after the
plate has been treated with I2. When the plate is removed from the I2
chamber, the I2 will gradually diffuse away from the spots, so the plate
should be immediately marked to indicate the positions of spots. Another
method used to visualize the spots is to observe the plate under UV light.
Most conjugated compounds appear as violet or purple spots under UV
light, if the coating on the plates contains a UV absorber.
31
4. Rf Values Rf values for many compounds are published for specific sets of
conditions (sample quantity, solvent system, temperature and coating
material). Often these conditions are difficult to duplicate, so the best way
to identify a compound in a mixture is to compare the behavior of the
mixture and a standard on the same plate. Even then, variations in the
thickness of the coating can cause significant variation of Rf values on the
same plate.
D. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE 1. Analysis of a Mixture of Colored Compounds
Colored Standard Compounds
a. Choice of Sample Volume
Transfer small volumes (several drops) of the four standard colored
solutions to small plastic vials.
Choose the lightest colored standard solution for this part of the experiment.
Spot this standard on the TLC plate in increasing order of applications (e.g.,
1 for position 1, 2 for position 2, etc.). Develop the plate using a 3:2 mixture
of hexane and acetone. From the appearance of the final spots, choose the
appropriate number of applications for your subsequent plates with the
colored compounds.
32
b. Identification of Unknown Compounds
For your initial analysis, spot your unknown and the colored standard
compounds on one plate. Be sure to note which spot corresponds to which
compound.
Develop the plate using a 3:2 mixture of hexane and acetone. Your
unknown may contain two or three of the standard compounds. Draw a
replica (to scale) of this plate in your Results section. Calculate the Rf
values and record in a table (See sample below).
Unknown Colored Compound
Compound Rf value(s)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. Unknown
From your results, choose the standards that appear to make up your
unknown. Next, spot a plate with the standards that you have chosen, your
unknown, a mixture of the standards prepared by spotting them one over
the other, and a mixture of unknown and the selected standards. Develop
the plate and draw a replica of it in your Results section. When you are sure
of the identities of the compounds in your unknown mixture, calculate Rf
values for all spots on the last plate. Record your values in a table similar to
the one above.
Note: To obtain unequivocal results you may require more plates than those
described above. If so, record information only for those plates that run
properly and contribute to your determination of the identity of the
components of your unknown mixture. Some compounds may streak when
run on TLC plates. If they do so consistently, this can be used to help
identify the compounds. Use an I2 chamber to visualize any questionable
faint spots.
33
2. TLC Analysis of Analgesic Drugs
Analgesics, compounds that relieve pain, range from aspirin to morphine
and related narcotics. In addition to aspirin, several other chemically similar
compounds are widely used in non-prescription analgesic tablets. Among
these are salicylamide and acetaminophen. Caffeine is sometimes added to
these formulations to overcome drowsiness. Other ingredients may be
added for different therapeutic effects, such as antispasmodic or slight
sedative actions. In addition to the active ingredients, the tablets contain
other substances which act as binders or enhance dissolution. In this
experiment, you will obtain as an unknown an over-the-counter analgesic
drug. You will identify the unknown drug by TLC comparison with these
known reference compounds: aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), acetaminophen
(4-acetamidophenol or 4’-hydroxyacetanilide), caffeine, and salicylamide.
Your unknown will be one of those listed below; the structures of the
ingredients follow.
Analgesic Drugs Ingredients
Anacin Aspirin and caffeine
Aspirin Aspirin
BC Original Formula Aspirin, salicylamide, and caffeine
Excedrin Acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine
Tylenol Acetaminophen
34
Obtain your unknown analgesic drug and samples (a few drops) of
solutions of the four reference compounds. Record the number of your
unknown. Dissolve the analgesic in 1 mL of 1:1 CH2Cl2/methanol. Stir the
mixture well and be sure all solid dissolves. Identify your unknown using
the same method that you used to identify your first unknown, by
comparing it with samples of the four analgesic standards. Be sure to
determine Rf values of all compounds involved. With this sample, develop
the plates using a solvent mixture having the composition 15:1 CH2Cl2/
acetic acid. Observe the developed plates under ultraviolet (UV) light in
the hood. Then develop the plates in an iodine chamber. (The order is
important.) Draw replicas of useful plates in your Observations section.
Calculate Rf values of all spots on the first plate and on your confirmatory
plate and record the results in tabular format, as you did with the colored
compounds.
Waste Disposal Discard the used TLC capillaries in the Broken Glass box.
Discard all solutions used for the Colored unknown in the Non-
Halogenated Waste.
Discard all solutions used for the Analgesic unknown in the Halogenated
Waste.
35
E. QUESTIONS 1. An unknown compound, X, was analyzed by TLC using two different
eluting solvent mixtures. Three standard compounds, G, H, and I, were
used. The Rf values for the analyses are given below. Which of the three
standards is most likely to be compound X? Explain your reasoning in two
short sentences.
5:1 Hexane/ Acetone 3:1 Hexane/ Ethyl acetate
Cpd. Rr Cpd. Rf
G 0.35 G 0.55
H 0.65 H 0.95
I 0.65 I 0.85
X 0.65 X 0.95
2. An unknown mixture was spotted on a silica gel TLC plate and was
developed in 1:1 acetone/hexane. It gave 2 spots with Rf values of 1.0
and 0.0, respectively.
a. Can you say for sure how many compounds are contained in the
mixture? If so, how many are there? Explain.
b. If not, what further experiments might be performed to determine
the number of components in the mixture? Explain.
3. On the basis of the results of your TLC analysis, list the analgesic
standard compounds in order of decreasing polarity. In one sentence,
explain your reasoning.
F. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
36
NOTES
37
EXPERIMENT 4 ISOMERIZATION OF DIMETHYL MALEATE TO DIMETHYL FUMARATE
A. PRELAB ASSIGNMENT Prepare a Table of Physical Constants for the following compounds:
B. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND Isomerization of dimethyl maleate to dimethyl fumarate is done using Br2 in
methylene chloride (CH2Cl2), in the presence of light, and this reaction is
monitored by Thin Layer Chromatography.
The reaction proceeds according to the following mechanism:
38
C. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS Bromine in concentrated form is highly corrosive. When it is diluted, as in this
experiment, it is less harmful but must be still handled with care. If you spill
bromine-methylene chloride solution, inform your instructor immediately.
Please wear gloves when handling this reagent. Avoid inhaling vapors.
ALWAYS PERFORM THE REACTIONS USING THE BROMINE SOLUTION
INSIDE THE HOOD.
D. GENERAL PROCEDURE Application of Sample
Review application of sample on TLC plate, vacuum filtration, and melting
point determination from the previous experiments.
Follow the TLC plate diagram given below for applying your spots and
monitoring the reaction.
E. Experimental Procedure
1. Spot the dimethyl fumarate standard solution on the TLC plate above
the “std” mark.
2. Dissolve 1 mL of dimethyl maleate in 3 mL of methylene chloride in a
25 mL Erlenmeyer flask.
3. Apply a spot of the dimethyl maleate starting solution on the TLC plate
above the “0” mark. Stopper the flask with a rubber stopper and make
sure the fit is tight.
39
4. Note the time and start the reaction by adding 10 drops of the 10%
Br2/CH2Cl2 solution to the dimethyl maleate solution in the Erlenmeyer
flask. Stopper immediately and swirl the flask. After two minutes have
elapsed, spot the reaction mixture above the “2” mark on the TLC
plate.
Spot the reaction mixture again at 5 minutes and 20 minutes after
starting time.
IF THE REACTION MIXTURE DECOLORIZES DURING THE
REACTION PERIOD, ADD A FEW EXTRA DROPS OF 10%
Br2/CH2Cl2 solution.
5. After 20 minutes, quench the reaction by cooling the reaction mixture in
the flask in an ice bath for at least 10-15 minutes.
6. Add ice-cold hexane drop-wise to the mixture with swirling
until crystal formation is complete (about 10 minutes).
Cool for an additional 5-10 minutes in the ice bath after all the hexane
is added.
7. Collect the crystals by vacuum filtration. Wash the crystals with
ice-cold hexane.
8. Dry the crystals and weigh the product.
9. Make a solution of the crystals by dissolving a micro-spatula tipful of
the crystals in 1 mL of CH2Cl2 in a test tube. Spot this solution
corresponding to the “C” mark on your TLC plate. (There will be 6
spots on the plate: std, 0, 2, 5, 20, C.) Develop the TLC plate using 3:1
Hexane/Ethyl acetate mixture.
10. Observe the plate under Ultraviolet (UV) lamp. Circle ALL the spots
you observe, and indicate the intensities of the spots by shading
appropriately. Calculate the Rf values.
E. WASTE DISPOSAL
Dispose of eluting solvent from the TLC jars in the Non-Halogenated
Waste container. Leave the TLC jars open in your hood.
40
Discard the filtrate in the Halogenated Waste container.
Discard the dimethyl fumarate crystals in the Solid Waste container.
F. QUESTIONS 1. According to your Rf values, which compound, dimethyl fumarate or
dimethyl maleate, is more polar? Does the structure support this
argument? Explain.
2. Which of the two isomers, cis or trans form (dimethyl maleate or dimethyl
fumarate), is more stable? Why?
3. Suggest another experimental method to identify dimethyl fumarate. How
would this method indicate the purity of the product?
G. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
41
EXPERIMENT 5 COLUMN CHROMATOGRAPHY
A. PRELAB ASSIGNMENT
In your notebook, prepare a Table of Physical Constants for n-hexane,
dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, ferrocene, and acetylferrocene.
B. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND In the previous two experiments, you gained some experience with
chromatography. As you may have noticed, TLC is a rapid, easy method for
separating mixtures of compounds. However, it is limited to small samples
(only a few milligrams). To handle larger amounts of material, more adsorbant
is needed. One common approach to larger scale separations is column
chromatography, where the adsorbant (usually silica gel or alumina) is
packed into a tube, and a continuous flow of solvent (eluant) is passed
through the adsorbant. As with TLC, the different compounds in the sample
are carried along, going back and forth between solvent and adsorbant. The
relative rates of these movements are dependent upon the relative strengths
of the attraction of these compounds to the adsorbant and upon their
solubilities in the eluant. With a polar adsorbant, the more polar compounds in
the sample will be held more tightly to the stationary phase and move more
slowly down the column. Therefore, when the same adsorbant and solvent
system are used in both, TLC and column chromatography will yield the same
order of elution for a given series of compounds. So, TLC is a valuable tool
for rapidly devising appropriate solvent systems for column chromatography
separations. Unlike TLC, column chromatography is not limited to only one solvent system
for a given separation. Since the solvent is continuously supplied at the top of
the column, it is possible to change the eluting solvent at any point in the
separation. This advantage allows us to separate complex mixtures
containing compounds of widely varying polarity. For separations of such
42
samples, the column is prepagred in a relatively non-polar solvent. As the
less polar components are eluted from the column, the polarity of the solvent
can be progressively increased, thus allowing selective removal of
compounds in order of increasing polarity.
In addition to this versatility for separating complex mixtures, column
chromatography has the advantage that it can be used for preparative scale
separations and purification, while TLC is usually limited to analytical
procedures. The amount of material to be separated can be varied from
milligrams to kilograms by increasing the size of the column and the amount
of adsorbant. For convenience and economy, the separation of a mixture of
ferrocene and acetylferrocene in our experiment will be done on a semi-micro
scale.
C. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE 1. Sample Preparation
On an analytical balance, weigh about 0.1500 g (note the exact amount to
four decimal places) of starting material, a mixture of ferrocene and
acetylferrocene, in a 20 mL beaker. Dissolve the sample in 1 mL of CH2Cl2.
Spot this solution on a silica gel TLC plate, close to the left edge (about 0.5
cm from the edge). This is spot A. Put the plate away in a safe place. More
spots will be added to it later. The plate will be used in step 2 g below. Add
about 0.5 g alumina to the dissolved sample solution.
2. Column Preparation
a. Obtain about 80 mL of hexane in a clean and dry 125 mL flask. Also in
clean, dry flasks, obtain about 20-25 mL of each of the two other solvents to
be used for the elution of the column (10:1 hexane/ethyl acetate, and 1:1
hexane-ethyl acetate). Keep all these solvents covered. Clean and dry the
column with a little acetone if needed. (Do this before preparing the sample.)
Place a small wad of glass wool at the bottom of the column. Add enough
sand to cover the glass wool completely. Place a clean, dry beaker under the
stopcock tip.
43
b. Fill about 2/3 of the column with hexane. Measure 13 mL of basic alumina,
activity I, in a dry 25 mL graduate cylinder. Alumina rapidly absorbs moisture
from the air and this reduces its separating power, so alumina should be measured just before adding it to the column. c. Pour the measured alumina into the column using a funnel. Tap the column
gently as you pour the alumina.
d. When all of the alumina has been added, open the stopcock and allow the
solvent to drain until its level is about 1 cm above the top of the alumina. Use
the excess solvent in the flask to wash down any alumina adhering to the
inside column walls.
e. Add a little bit of sand to form a thin layer above the alumina. Adjust the
solvent level so that it is just above the level of the sand and let the column
walls dry for a couple of minutes.
f. Carefully transfer the sample prepared in step 1 to the column. Rinse the
beaker with a few drops of hexane, and add this to the column. Allow the
sample to run onto the column. Add a small amount of sand to form a thin
layer above the sample. g. Add a few drops of hexane and open the stopcock, to allow the sample to
run onto the column. Continue this until the solvent above the sand remains
colorless. 3. Chromatography Procedure
a. Label three 100 mL beakers as 1, 2, and 3. These beakers will be used to
collect the components (fractions) of the mixture as they elute from the
column.
After the sample has been applied to the column, begin eluting as described
below.
b. Fill the top of the column with hexane. Open the stopcock and allow the
column to run continuously. DO NOT CLOSE THE STOPCOCK and DO
NOT ALLOW THE LEVEL OF ELUTING SOLVENT TO FALL BELOW THE
SAND AT THE TOP OF THE COLUMN. (Add solvent as needed.) Collect the
initial colorless eluant in a waste beaker. When the first colored band is about
44
1 cm from the bottom of the column, start collecting the fraction in the beaker
labeled 1, and continue eluting with hexane until all of the first colored band
has been eluted from the column.
c. Change the eluting solvent to 10:1 hexane-ethyl acetate and collect the
intermediate fraction in the beaker labeled 2, until the second colored band is
about 1 cm from the bottom of the column,
d. Change the eluting solvent to 1:1 hexane-ethyl acetate when the second
colored band is about 1 cm from the bottom of the column, and change the
collecting flask to the third beaker (labeled 3). Continue to collect this fraction
until the glass wool at the bottom of the column is white.
e. Rinse any crystals that adhere to the tip of the column into the beaker,
using a plastic pipet to squirt some solvent onto the tip of the column.
4. Isolation and Identification of Products
a. Transfer fraction 1 to a pre-weighed round bottom flask (RBF). Choose the
RBF so that the amount of solution will not be more than half the volume of
the RBF. Rinse the beaker with small amounts (2 x 2 mL) of hexane.
Transfer fraction 3 to another pre-weighed RBF, and rinse as above.
Evaporate the solvent from both fractions using the RotoVap. Dry the
samples using the high vacuum pump.
b. Weigh the two RBF’s containing the solids from fractions 1 and 3. Find the
mass of solid recovered from each fraction.
c. Dissolve the solid in each RBF in 2 mL of CH2Cl2. Spot each of these
solutions on your TLC plate.
d. Spot standard ferrocene and acetylferrocene solutions on the same TLC
plate.
e. Develop the plate with 30:1 toluene-absolute ethanol as the eluting solvent.
f. Draw (to scale) a replica of the TLC plate in your notebook. Calculate Rf
values for all spots and record in tabular form in your notebook. Identify each
spot.
45
Clean-Up: At the end of the period, clean the chromatography column in the
hood as demonstrated by an instructor. Empty the contents of the RBF’s into the
Halogenated Waste container.
D. CALCULATIONS Calculate the total % recovery.
Total % recovery = % ferrocene + % acetylferrocene
Sample calculation:
% Ferrocene = (weight of ferrocene / weight of starting mixture) x 100%
E. QUESTIONS 1. The Rf values of three compounds on TLC plates developed with 10:1
hexane/acetone are (A) 0.33, (B) 0.91, and (C) 0.54.
a. What would be the order of elution from an alumina column which is eluted
with 10:1 hexane/acetone (i.e., which would elute first, second, and third)?
b. Explain your reasoning.
c. What difference if any would be seen if the compounds were eluted from
the column with 7:1 hexane/acetone? Explain.
2. With reference to your experiment,
a. Which of your fractions contained ferrocene? Which contained
acetylferrocene? Explain, using your data.
b. Did you isolate pure samples of ferrocene and acetylferrocene? What is
your evidence?
c. Which of the two compounds is more polar? Explain. (Give evidence from
this experiment and from the structures.)
F. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
46
NOTES
47
EXPERIMENT 6 EXTRACTION
A. PRELAB ASSIGNMENT
In your notebook, prepare a Table of Physical Constants for benzoic acid,
This experiment demonstrates a general method for the reduction of ketones
to alcohols, the use of polarimetry to study the stereochemistry of a reaction,
and introduces some commonly used tests for the qualitative analysis of
alcohols and ketones.
A. PRELAB ASSIGNMENTS 1. First Week
a. Read Jones, Chapter 4, on Stereochemistry.
b. Prepare a Table of Physical Constants in your notebook. Include
structures, formulae, molecular weights, specific rotations, and other relevant
physical properties for (+)-camphor, (-)-camphor, (+)-borneol, (-)-borneol,
(+)-isoborneol, (-)-isoborneol, methanol, and sodium borohydride.
Identify all chiral centers in the compounds listed above and label them as
(R) or (S). Number the carbon atoms as shown for camphor on p. 74.
(Consult the Merck Index and the Aldrich Catalog, in addition to the
Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, and if necessary, the Dictionary of
Organic Compounds.)
2. Second week prelab assignment Answer the following in your notebook, before the second week lab lecture:
a. Write a balanced equation for the NaBH4 reduction of camphor, showing
all likely products.
b. Identify the products of this reaction as structural isomers, enantiomers, or
diastereomers.
c. Determine the limiting reagent and calculate the theoretical yield of the
product (borneol and/or isoborneol).
d. Define the terms “stereoselective” and “stereospecific”.
74
B. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND Camphor (1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo-[2.2.1]-2-heptanone) belongs to a diverse family
of naturally occurring compounds, known as terpenes, which have carbon
skeletons composed of 5-carbon isoprene units. Optically active camphor is
isolated from camphor trees found in Java, Brazil, China, and Sumatra.
Camphor has many practical and important uses. For example, camphor is used
as a preservative in pharmaceuticals, in cosmetics, and even in embalming
fluids. Camphor has also been used as an anesthetic, as a mild antiseptic, and
as a cardiac stimulant.
The reduction of ketones to 2° alcohols is an example of a functional group
transformation, i.e., a reaction that changes a group or groups attached to a
compound but leaves the carbon backbone unaltered. The reverse reaction,
oxidation, converts 2° alcohols back to ketones.
Commonly used reducing agents include complex metal hydrides, such as LiAlH4
(lithium aluminum hydride) and NaBH4 (sodium borohydride). In this experiment,
we will use sodium borohydride to reduce camphor, an optically active, naturally
occurring ketone.
The reduction of the ketone group in camphor can form two products, borneol or
isoborneol.
75
The products differ in the way in which the metal hydride reducing agent delivers
a hydride ion to the planar carbonyl group. Stereochemical demands of the
substrate, in this case camphor, can direct the addition of metal hydride to one of
two faces of the carbonyl. Addition of hydride to the exo face of camphor forms
borneol, the endo product. Addition of hydride to the other face of camphor forms
isoborneol, the exo product. If much more of one product is formed, the reaction
can be said to be stereoselective. By determining which (if either) product is
preferentially formed, it is possible to determine if and how the stereochemical
demands of camphor are controlling the reduction reaction.
Once the product(s) are isolated and identified, it becomes possible to determine
if the reduction was stereospecific by measuring the optical rotation of the
starting material and product(s). If the reduction was stereospecific, optically pure
(+)- or (-)-camphor should form only (+)- or (-)-borneol, or only (+)- or (-)-
isoborneol, with no loss of optical purity.
In this experiment, you will start with either (+)- or (-)-camphor. (The camphor to
be used will be assigned by your instructor.) From the sign of the optical
rotations of the starting camphor and of the product(s), you can confirm the
identity of the product(s) and determine the stereoselectivity, by determining if
one of the expected products, borneol or isoborneol, is formed in greater amount.
(You could also evaluate the stereospecificity by measuring optical rotation of
both the starting material and the isolated purified product(s) and determining the
optical purity or enantiomeric excess of each.)
C. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The Reduction Reaction 1. Place 0.0132 mole of your assigned camphor in a 50 mL round-bottom flask
(RBF). Add 8 mL of methanol and cool the flask in ice in a 250 mL beaker ice
bath. While the flask is cooling, weigh 0.016 mole of NaBH4 in a vial and keep
it covered. Crush any large lumps with a spatula.
76
2. Add the NaBH4 to the camphor solution in 3 portions with cooling, as
described in steps a-c below.
a. Remove the flask from the ice bath, and add about 2 scoopula-tips full of
NaBH4. Swirl the mixture for 5-6 minutes. Crush any solid lumps that form
with a thin, bent spatula. Whenever the bubbling becomes vigorous and/or
the flask no longer feels cool, return it to the ice bath. Continue to swirl
and crush lumps.
b. After about 6 minutes, cool the flask in the ice bath again; repeat step a.
c. Repeat step b, adding the remaining NaBH4.
3. After about 5 minutes, let the solution warm to room temperature. Swirl it
occasionally for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, clamp the flask to a ring
stand with the flask in contact with a steam bath (STEAM OFF) and equip it
with a reflux condenser. (Cooling water tubing will not be needed for this short
reflux time.) When bubbling becomes slow, heat the solution to boiling, and
reflux it for about 5 minutes.
4. Put about 30 mL of ice into a 125 mL Erlenmeyer flask, cool the reaction
mixture for a minute or two, and pour it with stirring onto the ice. Rinse the
reaction flask twice with 2 mL portions of methanol, and add the washes to
the reaction mixture.
5. Stir the mixture until the ice melts. Collect the solid by suction filtration. Wash
the filtered solid with cold distilled water, and press it dry with a glass stopper.
6. Transfer the crude reaction product to the same 125 mL Erlenmeyer flask.
Save a few small crystals of crude product to use as seed crystals, in case
the product “oils out” as the recrystallization solution cools.
7. Dissolve the crude product in a minimum volume of hot 1:1 methanol-water
mixture. (The flask containing the solvent and the flask containing the crude
product should be on the steam bath.) Then add cold water dropwise until a
permanent turbidity is seen. Add hot methanol again until the solution just
becomes clear. Set aside to cool slowly. Then cool in ice, and filter the
recrystallized product using suction filtration. Use two pieces of filter paper.
8. Cover the Buchner funnel with parafilm and store it in a beaker.
77
Second Lab Period 9. Weigh your dry product and determine the yield.
10. Functional Group Tests Two classical tests will be performed in order to determine whether or not the
product is an alcohol and whether or not it is contaminated by unreacted
camphor. For a and b below, record your observations and results in tabular form, and give general equations for positive test results. a. Chromic Acid Test for Alcohols In the chromic acid test, 1° and 2° alcohols are oxidized by solutions of
chromic acid (H2CrO4) to form carboxylic acids and ketones, respectively;
tertiary alcohols do not react with H2CrO4. A positive test is indicated by the
formation of a green-blue precipitate.
Add a match head size of solid or 1 drop of liquid to 1 mL acetone in a test
tube. Then add 1 drop of chromic acid reagent and shake the mixture. The
appearance of an opaque blue-green color within 2 seconds is a positive test.
Perform the test on 1-butanol, 2-butanol, 2-methyl-2-propanol (t-BuOH),
camphor, and your product.
Discard all waste from this test in the specially designated container.
b. 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine (2,4-DNP) Test for Ketones In the 2,4-DNP test, ketones (and aldehydes) react rapidly with
2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine to give brightly colored precipitates. Alcohols do
not react with this reagent.
Different concentrations of reactants will be used to increase the sensitivity of
the test, so that small amounts of unreacted starting material (camphor) can
be detected in the product from your reduction reaction.
Knowns
Perform this test on the following substances: isoborneol, camphor, methanol,
and acetone. For each test, put 1 mL of 95% ethanol in a small test tube. Add
(and mix) a spatula-tip full or 5 drops of the test compound, followed by 1 mL
of 2,4-DNP reagent. Mix well. If a precipitate does not form, boil the solution
78
in the test tube in a steam bath for 1 minute. Cool it in ice. A colored
precipitate is a positive test for a ketone.
Reaction product Repeat the 2,4-DNP test as above, but use about 0.1 g of your product. If a
positive test is observed, explain why this occurred.
Discard all waste from this test in the Non-Halogenated waste container.
11. Polarimetry Work in pairs to measure the optical purity of camphor. Find a partner who
used the same starting material, #1 or #2, as yours, and share the data.
a. Accurately weigh out about 0.2500 g of camphor in a small beaker.
Dissolve the camphor in the beaker in a small amount of 95% ethanol.
Transfer this solution quantitatively to a 25 mL volumetric flask, and fill to the
mark with 95% ethanol; mix well. Set the polarimeter to zero (0) with a 95%
ethanol blank cell. Fill a 1 dm cell with the prepared camphor solution and
measure the optical rotation. (About 10 mL of solution is needed )
b. Accurately weigh out about 0.5000 g of your product in a small beaker.
Dissolve and transfer quantitatively to a 25 mL volumetric flask, and fill to the
mark with 95% ethanol, as in step a above. (If the solution is cloudy or turbid,
filter it.) Be sure to rinse the polarimeter cell with a little ethanol, and then pre-
rinse it with some of your sample before filling the cell. Measure the optical
rotation as above.
c. Calculate the specific rotation of both samples.
D. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS In addition to your own Discussion and Conclusions, answer the following
questions:
1. Does your calculated specific rotation correspond to a single pure alcohol
isomer? Which one? If not, determine from the signs of optical rotation of
your starting material and product which isomer (if either) was formed in
excess and the identity of the other isomer.
79
2. Calculate the percent composition of your product (if it was a mixture).
Assume that
[α](specific) = Xb[α]b + Xi[α]i
(b = borneol, i = isoborneol expected from your starting material, X = mole
fraction)
Was the reaction stereospecific or stereoselective?
E. QUESTIONS 1. If unreacted camphor were not removed from your product by
recrystallization, how would this affect your calculation of the proportions
of borneol and isoborneol? Explain.
2. Thin layer chromatography would be a more sensitive method than the
2,4-DNP test to detect unreacted camphor in your product. Suggest why
this might not work, even though the product mixture can be separated on
silica gel with CH2Cl2 developing solvent. (Hint: Camphor has a powerful
odor and requires a sealed tube for m.p.)
3. Based on your results, determine whether the hydride adds from the exo-
or endo- face of the carbonyl group. Does this result satisfy predictions
made on the basis of the stereochemistry of camphor? Explain.
4. Write a balanced equation (structural formulae) for the reaction of
camphor with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine.
5. Predict the most likely product formed from the reaction of optically pure
(-)-menthone with sodium borohydride.
(-)-Menthone
80
NOTES
81
EXPERIMENT 9
DEHYDRATION OF 2-METHYLCYCLOHEXANOL
In this experiment, a one-piece short-path distillation apparatus will be used to
perform an acid-catalyzed dehydration reaction of 2-methylcyclohexanol (mixed
cis- and trans- isomers) to produce a mixture of methylcyclohexenes. The
product mixture will be analyzed by qualitative tests for the presence of alkenes.
The identity and relative amount of each product will be determined using gas
chromatography. The experiment is derived from “Dehydration of Cyclohexanol”
in C.F. Most, p. 335.
A. PRELAB ASSIGNMENT 1. Prepare a Table of Physical Constants for the following compounds:
As usual, include structures, formulae, molecular weights, and other relevant
properties.
2. Write the equation for the dehydration of 2-methylcyclohexanol in your
notebook.
A. PROCEDURE FOR DEHYDRATION OF 2-METHYLCYCLOHEXANOL Reaction 1. Set up the short path distillation apparatus and sand bath according to the lab
demonstration.
2. Transfer 0.5 mL of 85% phosphoric acid (caution: phosphoric acid can cause
severe burns) into a 5 mL flask (round-bottom or pear-shaped) and add a
magnetic stir bar. Mark the liquid level in the flask for future reference. Add
82
2.5 mL of 2-methylcyclohexanol (mixed isomers), measured accurately with a
syringe.
3. Heat the mixture gently on the sand bath. (The part of the flask containing the
liquid should be completely covered with sand.) Carefully distill the reaction
mixture (start with a Variac setting of 70) until the residue in the flask (called
the pot residue) has a volume of about 0.5 mL or until the boiling point (head
temperature) rises above 111 ºC. Lower the heat if there is excessive foaming
or if the temperature rises rapidly after distillation has started. Note the
appearance and boiling range of the distillate. Collect the distillate in a
centrifuge tube cooled in a beaker of ice.
Work-up and Isolation of Product 1. Wash the mixture with about 2 mL of saturated sodium chloride solution.
(Cap and invert the tube a few times.) Remove the aqueous layer with a
Pasteur pipet, and dry the organic layer over anhydrous potassium carbonate.
Shake the mixture occasionally, and let it dry for at least 5 minutes.
2. Record the tare weight of a clean, dry vial with the cap. Be sure that the vial
has a tight-fitting cap. Transfer the dry methylcyclohexene solution to the pre-
weighed vial
3. Determine the weight of the dried product. Keep the vial capped tightly at all
times after weighing, since the alkenes evaporate rapidly.
83
Tests for Alkenes
Perform the following tests on your distillate to confirm the presence of alkenes.
1. Bromine Test for Unsaturation
Put 0.5 mL of tetrahyrofuran (THF) in a test tube. Add 2 drops of the liquid to
be tested and stir the mixture. Add 2 drops of Bromine in Carbon
Tetrachloride reagent, and mix. A positive test is disappearance
(decolorization) of the orange-yellow color of the bromine solution.
Test the product mixture, 2-methylcyclohexanol, cyclohexene, and
cyclohexane. Record your observations and results in tabular form.
Discard all waste in the Halogenated Waste container. Include a balanced equation showing stereochemistry for each positive test result.
2. Chromic Acid Test for Alcohols
In the chromic acid test, 1° and 2° alcohols are oxidized by solutions of
chromic acid (H2CrO4) to form carboxylic acids and ketones, respectively;
tertiary alcohols do not react with H2CrO4. A positive test is indicated by the
formation of a green-blue precipitate.
Add a 1 drop of liquid to 1 mL acetone in a test tube. Then add 1 drop of
chromic acid reagent and shake the mixture. The appearance of an opaque
blue-green color within 2 seconds is a positive test.
Perform the test on 1-butanol, 2-methylcyclohexanol, 2-methyl-2-propanol
(t-BuOH), and your product.
Discard all waste from this test in the specially designated container. Include a balanced equation showing stereochemistry for each positive test result.
84
C. ANALYSIS AND CALCULATIONS 1. Calculate the yield and percent yield, assuming that the distillate is 100
percent mixed methylcyclohexenes.
2. From the gas chromatography trace distributed to you, identify each product
(and solvent, if any) by retention times. Be sure to note the conditions used to
produce and record your chromatography trace. Attach the chromatograph to
a right-hand page of your notebook with tape.
D. QUESTIONS 1. Based on the results obtained in your experiment, formulate a mechanism
that will account for all observed products.
2. Instead of rapidly distilling her products, a student refluxed her reaction
mixture. After drying and distilling, she obtained nearly 100%
1-methylcyclohexene. Explain, by means of a mechanism, what happened to
her reaction mixture.
E. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Include the following points in your discussion: Do the physical properties of
the product, test observations, and analysis results tell you anything? Is this
reaction a good synthetic method? Explain your answer.
85
EXPERIMENT 10
NUCLEOPHILIC SUBSTITUTION REACTIONS
A. PRELAB ASSIGNMENT
1. Prepare a Table of Physical Constants for the following substances
in your notebook, including structures, formulae, boiling points. Also
classify a-g as primary, secondary, tertiary, or aryl halides.
Substrates:
a. 1-Chlorobutane
b. 1-Bromobutane
c. 2-Chlorobutane
d. 2-Bromobutane
e. 2-Chloro-2-methylpropane
f. 2-Bromo-2-methylpropane
g. Bromobenzene
Solvents:
h. Ethanol
i. Acetone
2. Answer the following questions in your notebook:
a. Rank primary, secondary, tertiary, and aryl halides toward
nucleophilic displacement by an SN2 reaction mechanism in order
of decreasing reactivity.
b. Rank primary, secondary, tertiary, and aryl halides toward
nucleophilic displacement by an SN1 reaction mechanism in order
of decreasing reactivity.
3. Prepare tables for recording the observations. (See sample
tables on p. 90.)
86
B. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND The purpose of this experiment is (1) to study the effect of the leaving
group in nucleophilic substitution reactions, and (2) to study the effect of the
structure of the substrate in nucleophilic substitution reactions of primary,
secondary and tertiary alkyl and aryl halides. This is discussed in Maitland
Jones, Organic Chemistry, in the chapter on “Substitution and Elimination
Reactions”. Refer to this material as you prepare for this experiment, and also
when writing your laboratory report.
C. GENERAL PROCEDURES 1. SN2 Reactions—Reaction with NaI For the SN2 reactions, the nucleophile is the iodide ion (I-), introduced into the
solution as sodium iodide dissolved in acetone. If the reaction occurs, sodium
bromide or sodium chloride will form and precipitate in acetone.
The general reaction is:
2. SN1 Reactions—Reaction with AgNO3 / EtOH For the SN1 reactions, the nucleophile is ethoxide (EtO-), introduced into the
solution as the solvent in a silver nitrate-ethanol solution. If the reaction
occurs, silver chloride or silver bromide will form a precipitate in ethanol.
The general reaction is:
3. Precipitates The formation of a precipitate is an indication that a reaction has occurred.
This may appear as a cloudiness or turbidity in the solution. It is important to
note how long it takes for the precipitate to form. This can be in relative
terms—immediately, with swirling, slowly, very slowly, upon heating, etc.
Do not mistake a ring inside the test tube at the solution mark for a
precipitate. This is due to a deposit of solid inorganic salt when solvent
evaporates. If any liquid evaporates during the experiment, add solvent up to
the mark on the test tube. The precipitate or turbidity must be in the solution.
87
D. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Prepare a 50 °C water bath by heating a 250 mL beaker filled about two-
thirds full of tap water on the steam bath. Take the temperature of the water
with your short thermometer. When the water temperature reaches 50 °C,
turn the steam off, but leave the beaker on the steam bath.
1. SN2 Reactions
a. Prepare a beaker for collection of waste organic liquids.
b. Obtain 7 clean, dry new screw-cap test tubes with caps. Label the test
tubes a-g, corresponding to the substrates in the Table of Physical
Constants. Place 6 drops of each of the starting halides in each tube. Cap
each tube.
c. To the test tube containing the first alkyl or aryl halide, add 1.0 mL (20
drops) of 15% sodium iodide in acetone solution. With a wax pencil, mark
the liquid level in the test tube. Swirl the test tube to ensure complete
mixing. Observe the test tube for the formation of a precipitate, which may
appear only as cloudiness or turbidity in some cases. Record the color
and texture of any precipitate that forms. Record how long it takes for a
precipitate to appear; some reactions occur quickly, while others take
considerable time. The precipitate or turbidity must be in the solution, as
noted under General Procedure in C3 above.
d. If no precipitate (cloudiness or turbidity) is observed at room temperature
after 5 minutes, mark the level of the liquid in the test tube and place it in
the 50 °C water bath. Heat for another 10 minutes. Maintain the liquid
level while heating by adding a few drops of acetone. Note the time at
which any precipitate occurs.
Do not let the reaction run longer than a total of 15 minutes.
Record all your observations in the Table.
e. Repeat the procedure for each of the remaining halides.
f. Dispose of all the chemicals from the test tubes in a waste beaker. Rinse
the test tubes with small amounts of acetone, and add this to your waste
beaker.
88
2. SN1 Reactions a. Label a special beaker for collection of waste organic liquids containing
silver solutions and salts.
b. Check the temperature of your 50 °C water bath, and reheat on the steam
bath to 50 °C if necessary. Turn off steam, but leave the beaker on the
steam bath.
c. Obtain 7 clean, dry, new screw-cap test tubes with caps. Label the test
tubes a-g, corresponding to the substrates in the Table of Physical
Constants. Place 3 drops of each of the starting halides in each tube. Cap
each tube.
d. To the test tube containing the first alkyl or aryl halide, add 1.0 mL (20
drops) of silver nitrate-ethanol solution. With a wax pencil, mark the liquid
level in the test tube. Swirl the test tube to ensure complete mixing.
Observe the test tube for the formation of a precipitate, which may appear
only as cloudiness or turbidity in some cases. Record the color and texture
of any precipitate that forms. Record how long it takes for a precipitate to
appear; some reactions occur quickly, while others take considerable time.
The precipitate or turbidity must be in the solution, as noted under General
Procedure in C3 above.
e. If no precipitate (cloudiness or turbidity) is observed at room temperature
after 5 minutes, place the test tube in the 50 °C water bath and heat for
another 10 minutes. Note the time at which any precipitate occurs.
Do not let the reaction run longer than a total of 15 minutes.
Record all your observations in the Table.
f. Repeat the procedure for each of the remaining halides.
g. Dispose of all the chemicals from the test tubes in the special silver waste
collection beaker. Rinse the test tubes with small amounts of acetone,
and add this to your silver waste collection beaker.
89
E. CLEAN UP
Discard the waste solutions from the SN2 Experiments in the Halogenated Waste container in the Waste Hood.
Discard the waste solutions from the SN1 Experiments in the special container
for Silver Waste Solutions in the Waste Hood.
F. QUESTIONS 1. Write equations for all positive reactions, i.e. those in which the formation
of a precipitate or turbidity was observed. Be sure to give the structure of
the product for each reaction. 2. Draw the mechanism of the SN2 reaction between
(S)-2-bromobutane and iodide ion. (Include electron lone pairs, and
intermediates.) Name the product, and label it as S or R.
3. Draw the mechanism of the SN1 reaction between
(R)-3-bromo-3-methylhexane and ethanol. (Include electron lone pairs, and
intermediates.) Name the product, and label it as S or R.
4. Based on your experimental results, list the alkyl/aryl halides in order of
decreasing reactivity under SN2 conditions. Why is this order of reactivity
observed? Frame your answer in terms of the identities of the substrate and
the leaving group. Do your experimental results agree with the theoretical
predictions in Pre-Lab Question 2a? Explain.
5. Based on your experimental results, list the alkyl/aryl halides in order of
decreasing reactivity under SN1 conditions. Why is this order of reactivity
observed? Frame your answer in terms of the identities of the substrate and
the leaving group. Do your experimental results agree with the theoretical
predictions in Pre-Lab Question 2b? Explain.
6. Secondary alkyl bromides and secondary alkyl chlorides were subjected to
both SN2 and SN1 conditions in this experiment. Which secondary alkyl
halides reacted faster in each case? Explain.
7. Based upon your experimental results, what can you conclude about the
reactivity of aryl halides under SN1 and SN2 conditions? Explain.
90
Sample Tables for Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions
1. SN2 Reactions Observations*
Substrate Room Temp. Hot Water
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
2. SN1 Reactions Observations*
Substrate Room Temp. Hot Water
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
*Note color and texture of any precipitate, as well as the relative speed of
formation.
91
NOTES
92
IMPORTANT FAMILIES OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
93
IMPORTANT FAMILIES OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
94
95
From: Most, C.F. Experimental Organic Chemistry; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: New York, 1988; pp. 267-268.
