The recent shift in ACS accreditation guidelines for curriculums promotes the integration of inquiry based pedagogies and requires the inclusion of the preparation, characterization, and physical property analysis of polymers or other macromolecules and nanomaterials, emphasizing the importance of polymer and material studies at the undergraduate level.1 The original polymer lab experiment used plant derived monomers δ -decalactone and L-lactide, and has been adapted into an inquiry-based lab to include various monomer and catalyst alternatives, making it more appealing as a bench-top ready experiment.2 Further work was done to increase the scope of the sustainability and adaptability of the experiment by including a simple mechanical test to differentiate physical properties based on mid-block and end-block composition, degradation of the polymers under mild conditions, and the use of a microwave reactor to cut down on reaction time. In an effort to increase the reliability & success rate of the experiment for students, several procedural improvements were made and verified by SEC and 1H-NMR, showing uniform polymerizations. Student feedback showed a positive response to the real-world applications of the lab and how the fundamentals of polymer and green chemistry were integrated into the sophomore level organic lab. References: 1. Committee on Professional Training, et al. ACS Guidelines and Evaluation Procedures for Bachelor’s Degree Programs, 2015, pp 10 & 15. 2. Schneiderman, D, et al. J. Chem. Educ., 2014, 91 (1), pp 131–135.

Expanding on the adaptability and sustainability of an inquiry-based polymer experiment for the teaching laboratory through inclusion of simple mechanical testing, degradation of the product, and microwave reactions

251st National Meeting (2016)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.