Chemistry Lab Course Overview and Administrative Issues

Lecture 1a Administrative Issues

Motivation Why do students take have to take chemistry labs? While most lecture courses provide a solid theoretical background in general chemistry and in organic chemistry, they usually fail to consider most of the practical aspects of an actual experiment (i.e., exact conditions, byproducts, product isolation, characterization). Conducting an experiment in lab is often times much more complicated than the chemistry conducted on paper because many details have a significant impact on the overall outcome of the experiment. Performing an actual experiment in the lab is a learning experience on how to combine many theoretical and practical aspects together (i.e., theory of the reaction, Le Ch telier Principle, polarity, acidity, kinetics, etc.). Develop manipulative skills that are needed in other sciences.

Learning Goals At the end of the class you should be able to Be able to perform basic laboratory techniques i.e., setting up and running reactions, be familiar with purification techniques (distillation, extraction, recrystallization, chromatography). Be able to operate equipment used in the lab correctly i.e., infrared and UV-Vis spectrophotometer, rotary evaporator, polarimeter, etc. Analyze spectra and chromatograms of your compounds (IR, NMR, UV-Vis, GC/MS, HPLC). Understand the design of the experiments. Write a report that demonstrates the mastery of the material. Be familiar with safe work practices in the lab.

Course Overview Experiments and Activities (tentatively) Meeting 1 : Check-in, Coenzyme Synthesis of Benzoin, Molecular Modeling (I) Meeting 2: Elimination Reaction from 2-Methylcyclohexanols (GC Analysis, Simple Distillation) Meeting 3: Reduction of D-(+)-Camphor: (-)-Isoborneol/(+)-Borneol (GC Analysis, Polarimetry) Meeting 4: Oxidation of Benzoin (Phase Transfer Catalysis), Molecular Modeling (II) (Recrystallization, Column Chromatography, HPLC) Meeting 5: Aldol Condensation (TLC Analysis, UV-Vis, Recrystallization) Meeting 6: Diels-Alder Reaction (Recrystallization) Meeting 7: Synthesis of Coumarins (Microwave Synthesis, Fluorescence) Synthesis of Benzopinacol via Photoreduction of Benzophenone (HPLC) Meeting 8: Synthesis and Identification of an Ester (Extraction, Vacuum Distillation, NMR Spectroscopy) Meeting 9: Finish up Photochemistry Experiment/ NMR Simulations (ACD) Meeting 10: Clean-up, Check-out, Web Spectra Combined Spectra Problems

Administrative Issues Make sure that you arrive on time to your first in-lab meeting because if you are more than 15 minutes late, you will lose your spot in the course. Excuses do not count later on i.e., I did not think that the lab meets during week 1 or I did not find the lab . The first sections (1 A (YH 1096), 1 B (YH 1111)) will meet on 3/29/2016 at 1 pm. Wait-listed students will be accommodated if space becomes available (N<20): chemistry, biochemistry > other majors > extension students, priority in within a group will be given to seniority If you are added to the roster, the instructor will report you to the department to been enrolled (usually at the end of week 1), so do not ask about this issue before beginning of meeting 2. Note that the online quiz system is independent from URSA and is administered by the instructor! It will not be active before the end of meeting 1.

Textbooks/Readers The course reader bundle (= main reader (bright yellow), the Survival Kit reader (generally referred to as SKR, orange) and the exam collection (pale yellow)) is available from Course Reader Materials (1081 Westwood Blvd.) for $65. It is highly advisable to have the latest version (Spring 2016) because this is the basis for the experiments and the quizzes/final exam. Recommended: Mohrig et al., Techniques in Organic Chemistry (online: $47.99 (4thedition, 180 days) via coursesmart), most students usually have a copy already if they were recently enrolled in Chem 30AL Organic textbook for reference i.e., Brown and Foote, McMurry, Wade, Vollhardt and Schore, etc.

Preparation for In-lab Meeting I Pre-lab write-up (for more details consult your TA) Title Purpose Introduction (balanced chemical equations, mechanism, key steps in the procedure) Detailed procedure Detailed safety information of ALL chemicals used in the project Physical properties of ALL chemicals (melting point, boiling point, solubility, etc.) Spectroscopic information (Xerox copy of infrared spectra (reactants and product) have to be included) Reference section Answers to pre-lab questions posted on the course website (for sample report see SKR 9)

Preparation for In-lab Meeting II Online Quizzes Take the online quiz if is required (meeting 2 through meeting 8) until 60 minutes before your in-lab meeting. However, it is not advisable to wait until 12 pm to take the online quiz in case technically difficulties arise. The link to the online quiz is posted on the homework assignment. Note that even though you can view/print the online quiz several times, you can take the quiz only once. No answer keys will be posted. If you have problems with the quizzes (less than 7 points), you should see the teaching assistant or the instructor to clarify topics before you attend the lab. The first online quiz will not be active before 4/1/2016 at 2 pm due to enrollment issues. Please check early if you can log on to the system so that any problems can be resolved if needed.

Preparation for In-lab Meeting III Bottom line: The better you understand what you are about to do, the easier it will be in the lab. If you put in the time beforehand, you will be less stressed in the lab. Copying reports from friends/room mates, etc. might safe time initially, but it will show in the end (=final exam), where many of these students have experienced a Waterloo in the final exams.

Grades In-lab quiz (20 points, starting meeting 2, seven total, lowest score dropped) Online quiz (10 points, starting meeting 2, seven total) Infrared assignment (40 points, due by April 8, 2016 at 12:00 pm, no late submissions will be accepted) Extra credit project (20 points= 5 points pre-lab + 15 points report, no late submissions will be accepted) Library assignment (15 points, due by April 15, 2016 at 12:00 pm no late submissions will be accepted) Computer assignment (meeting 4, 15 points) Lab notebook (20 points, due immediately after final exam) Pre-lab (5 points, pre-lab questions are posted on the course website) Post-lab (5 points, no post-lab questions!) TA/Instructor evaluation (10 points per meeting, average student 7-8 points) Final Exam (June 10, 2016 from 8:00-11:00 am, room tba) (210 points) There will be no make-up final exam. Bottom line: Both the in-lab portion and the final exam have to be passed to pass the course (=grade higher than C- -grade). In order to get a high grade in the course, the student has to perform very well in both portions, not just in one portion.

Instructor Information Office: Young Hall 3077E Office hours (tentatively): M-F 10-11 am and M 4-5 pm in YH 3077 or by appointment (please do not schedule an appointment before 8 am or after 4:30 pm, if you do make an appointment, make sure to show up on time!) Email: bacher@chem.ucla.edu Course website: www.chem.ucla.edu/~bacher (Please note that the instructor does not use CCLE website) Course discussion board: www.piazza.com/ucla/spring2016/chem30bl The course discussion board has to be used for general questions only. This means that you cannot post homework or quiz questions!