In a multi-week experiment for the undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory, methods to extract 3-Hydroxy-2-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one, maltol, from Fraser fir needles using both traditional benchtop chemistry as well as microwave technology have been developed and implemented successfully. The two methods were carried out nearly simultaneously. There were multiple advantages to this strategy: 'down time' was minimized, students were exposed to the widest range of laboratory techniques, and meaningful critical comparisons of the pros and cons of each method could be made by students in their final reports.

Extraction of maltol from Fraser fir needles: A comparison of microwave-assisted and conventional heating protocols for the undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory

247th National Meeting (2014)

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