Simple Distillation: Separation of Hexane and Toluene By: Jessica Hauger Abstract: The purpose of this experiment is to separate a mixture of hexane and toluene by collecting fractions through simple distillation. Because hexane’s boiling point is about 69°C and the boiling point of toluene is 111°C, the two compounds distill at different times. The distillation took place in a simple distilling apparatus. The refractive index was measured using an Abbé refractometer. After collecting only two fractions and recording the refractive […]
By: Erin H. ABSTRACT Phenylmagnesium bromide was used as the Grignard organometallic for two reactions. The first was a synthesis of triphenylmethanol from benzophenone. This was done using a gentle reflux followed by several Separatory washes and extractions to purify and separate product. The second reaction was the synthesis of benzoic acid from phenylmagnesium bromide using dry ice and a variety of washes. The benzoic acid reaction was straightforward and a 54.4% yield was recovered. The triphenylmethanol reaction was a […]
pGLO Lab By: Yi Yu Abstract Plasmids are pieces of circular DNA that are in bacteria which can code for genes that can cause the bacteria to have extra “features”. With the pGLO plasmid this extra “feature” causes bacteria to glow (from the Green Fluorescent Protein that was inserted) and also has resistance to ampicillin (from the beta-lactamase protein). By adding the pGLO plasmid the E.coli bacteria will be able to grow on agar with arabinose sugar and ampicillin. […]
The Creation of Isopentyl Acetate By: Stephanie Tress INTRODUCTION8 Some of the food and drinks that are consumed today obtain their flavor and odor from esters, which are found throughout nature[2]. Some things contain not one ester but a combination of esters in order to obtain the right flavor[2]. Esters won’t be used for things like perfume because they aren’t stable and will react with perspiration which will then give off an unpleasant odor[2]. Although a fruity and sweet odor […]
Fischer Esterification By: Julia Tremble Introduction: As derivatives of carboxylic acids, esters are abundant compounds that often contribute to the fragrances in flowers, fruits, and coffee. Esters are synthesized from either organic or inorganic acids through a process called esterification.2 In this reaction, a carboxylic acid (RCOOH) and an alcohol (R’OH) mix in the presence of a strong acid catalyst to form a neutral, water-insoluble ester (RCOOR’) that gives off a pleasant smell.3 The following is an example of this […]
Isolation of Caffeine from Tea Leaves By: Julia Trimble Introduction: Caffeine is an alkaloid stimulant with a cyclic backbone structure analogous to the purine structures of DNA, giving it the ability to affect biochemical pathways in the body1. In commercial application, caffeine supplements pharmaceuticals and certain beverages such as coffee or tea. Standard tea bags contain 2.00 +/- 0.05 g of tea leaves along with approximately 55 mg of caffeine[1]. Using the proper extraction methods, the caffeine within a tea […]