A guided-inquiry experiment was developed for a third-year undergraduate organic mechanisms course based on a multicomponent Passerini reaction. This reaction is not explicitly covered in the class component of the course and an experimental protocol is only provided during laboratory time. Microscale syntheses of six “unknown” compounds were optimized to rapidly generate good yields. The variety of products facilitates personalized student work during a three-hour laboratory with each reaction highlighting green chemistry principles. During the experiment, students synthesize, purify and characterize their product whilst undertaking a collaborative problem-solving exercise. Next, they analyze provided spectroscopic data to propose their “unknown” structure.

Problem-solving in organic chemistry: Mechanistic analysis of an “unknown” reaction

2019 Fall National Meeting

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