<br/>As chemistry is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary, colleges are falling behind with many lab courses having little to no mixing between disciplines. The solution to this problem is to develop a laboratory course linking the main four areas of chemistry: organic, inorganic, analytical, and physical chemistry. This course would give students a real-world understanding of chemical research, and would most likely be implemented as a graduation requirement for seniors. To this end, a series of sterically and electronically tuned coordination compounds (catalysts) were targeted. The ligands (N-substituted glycine derivatives) were chosen for their low cost and high tunability. Copper was likewise chosen for its low cost and because it is a commonly used catalytic metal. Electronic tuning was achieved through the synthesis of N-aryl derivatives (N-phenyl, N-p-nitrophenyl, N-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)), while steric tuning was achieved using N-butyl derivatives. The ligands were checked for purity by thin layer chromatography, and their identities were verified by IR spectroscopy. The coordinated complexes formed from these ligands were analyzed by UV-Vis while varying stoichiometry and measuring λ<sub>max</sub> and molar absorptivity (ε). All three N-aryl ligands demonstrated the ability to coordinate to copper(II) ion. However, due to solubility issues, not all complexes were able to be analyzed fully. Additionally, the N-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)glycine complex decomposed very quickly. Coordination chemistry of the N-butyl derivatives has been attempted, but upon coordination with copper(II) ion, precipitates form. Attempts to solubilize the complexes are ongoing.

Development of a comprehensive interdisciplinary chemistry lab course

255th National Meeting (2018)

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