Isotope effects are widely used in infrared analyses of a range of chemical systems. Water molecules with three active modes are one of the most studied for testing the applicability of theoretical models. Whereas the IR spectrum of free gaseous water is very complex due to the accompanying rotational spectral features, the ATR-FTIR spectrum of a…

A frequent challenge that graduate and undergraduate students in chemistry, biology, and pharmacy laboratories face is accurately assigning proton and carbon peaks in the 1D and 2D Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectra of organic and pharmaceutical molecules. We propose a consistent, step-by-step approach to effectively assist students in…

A laboratory experiment has been designed for teaching laboratories aimed at training students in the basics of spectroscopy in junior and senior level undergraduate chemistry courses. Despite the ubiquity of light-based tools in modern science, students often find it difficult to comprehend light and light-matter interactions. A portable…

The self-association of caffeine in solution, driven by the hydrophobic effect, is a simple example of molecular aggregation. It obeys an isodesmic association model in which each successive binding occurs with the same equilibrium constant. Here, we describe an activity for chemistry students that explores this phenomenon using nuclear magnetic…

Student engagement in evidence-based argumentation plays a central role in science education. These skills can be developed when identifying organic molecules from the spectroscopic data. Molecular structural analysis fosters deep procedural knowledge, as it involves (i) flexibly applying a set of procedures to extract information from spectra,…

In this two-session experiment for an organic chemistry lab, students prepare a macrocyclic host compound--namely, a pillar[5]arene--by means of a templated 1,4-dimethoxybenzene/formaldehyde cyclo-oligomerization (session 1), and then, they explore its molecular recognition properties toward the 1,8-diaminooctane guest with the aid of [superscript…

The NMR spectrometer is a commonly used spectroscopic instrument that records resonance frequencies of nuclei present in molecular systems. While the NMR frequencies fall within the radio frequency regime for a given molecular system, they are presented in terms of chemical shifts in the audio frequency regime, thereby having the versatility to be…

High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) is an analytical technique that is typically used by mass spectrometry experts. However, with recent advancements, it is becoming more accessible to students in organic chemistry laboratories. Still, a significant knowledge gap exists between these experts and students. A straightforward laboratory…

Benzoin, an [alpha]-hydroxy ketone, is stereoselectively reduced by sodium borohydride to yield hydrobenzoin, the stereochemistry of which is determined by acetalization and analysis of the derivative by NMR spectroscopy. This classical experiment has been enhanced by modern spectroscopic and computational analysis to enable students to…

Electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions are common in the organic chemistry laboratory. These reactions, while ubiquitous, use corrosive reagents and halogenated or hydrophobic solvents that produce expensive and hazardous waste streams. The carboxylation of phenols (Kolbe-Schmitt reaction), although aqueous, typically involves conditions…

NMR prediction using ChemDoodle, NMR calculation with Gaussian, and hands-on data collection using a benchtop NMR spectrometer were explored to assess their synergistic capacity in teaching NMR to organic chemistry students. Nine molecules representing functional groups commonly encountered in undergraduate organic chemistry were selected. Spectra…

This laboratory experiment consists of the synthesis of two series of alkaline-earth titanates (calcium-strontium and strontium-barium)to corroborate Vegard's law by obtaining their X-ray diffraction patterns and plotting the lattice parameter versus mole fraction of both cations. This experiment allows students to understand the key concepts in…

For solid solutions with the same arrangement of atoms, the size of a unit cell depends on the size of the atoms in the unit cell. The distance between nuclei also helps determine how strongly electrons are held, which changes the band gap energy. Samples of semiconductor CH[subscript 3]NH[subscript3]Pb(I[subscript…

A straightforward protocol for the preparation of the colorful and air-stable diphenyl ditelluride is described. In one laboratory session, students isolate their product and characterize it via melting point determination, mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy ([superscript 1]H, [superscript 13]C­{[superscript 1]H}, and [superscript…

Chemistry undergraduate curricula typically place Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) lectures under either Organic Chemistry or Spectroscopy courses, aiming for students to acquire basic knowledge for the determination of the structure of simple organic compounds. On the other hand, regarding laboratory practice, NMR is frequently disregarded by…