Biobased Organic Chemistry Laboratories as Sustainable Experiment Alternatives

Self Cite

As introductory chemistry courses expose students to many distinctive properties of matter, it is helpful to systematically evaluate and relate different measures such as mass, moles, and molarity, or specific heat capacity and heat capacity. Intensive and extensive designations help distinguish intrinsic and component properties of a system and are often introduced to students, but they are infrequently explored or exploited beyond introductory chapters. Intensive metrics used to address green chemistry principles include process mass efficiency, median lethal dose, and radiative forcing. These sustainability metrics build on fundamental measures introduced in general chemistry such as yield, concentration, and energy by collecting extensive components of a system with complementary intensive measures. As interdisciplinary sustainability metrics bridge scales and systems and connect chemical, environmental, and engineering concerns, they can be used to help further explain and employ concepts currently taught in a general chemistry course. This commentary serves to examine the extensive and intensive nature of measures found in a first-semester general chemistry course and classify them alongside relevant sustainability metrics. While general chemistry is not necessarily an outlet to fully explore these metrics, the introduction and exploration of these metrics, such as process mass efficiency in relation to yield, may better allow them to practice general chemistry learning objectives both inside and outside the classroom.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring Sustainability Metrics in General Chemistry Using Intensive and Extensive Properties of Matter

Silverman

2021

Self Cite

“…There have been reports of employing biobased materials as reactants and reagents in the undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory. − S N Ar reactions are one of the fundamental reactions taught in organic chemistry . Recently, Lipton reorganized the organic chemistry curriculum by grouping nucleophilic addition–elimination reactions of carbonyl and aromatic compounds together based on a mechanistic perspective.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Green Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Reaction

Abraham

2020

This paper revisits the tie-dyeing process through a bioinspired and safer alternative to nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) reactions for an introductory organic chemistry laboratory. The simple and straightforward experiment provides students with an opportunity to gain practical experience in conducting a chemical reaction in a real-world context while applying concepts of design for biodegradability and reusability. The water-soluble reactive dye that replaces the use of a conventional SNAr substrate does not require any heavy metals, toxic substances, or mordants but utilizes a much less toxic and safer sodium carbonate to generate the cellulosate nucleophile. This reaction generates no waste, and the end-product, the tie-dyed T-shirt, is reusable and biodegradable. Through this experiment, students can see connections between chemistry and environmental health while gaining a practical insight into dyeing chemistry, making use of a systems thinking approach. This experiment serves not only to employ safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals in the undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory but also to educate students to recognize the relevance and importance of applying green chemistry wherever it is possible, emphasizing life cycle thinking and stewardship.

“…Recently, green chemistry principles have been incorporated in undergraduate education practices. , In this sense, a fuel course is a multidisciplinary subject, which involves chemical and physical principles, energy content, technologies (gasification, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion), finance, and environmental impact. Biofuel production has been introduced in the chemistry curriculum.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Introduction Biodiesel Course: Evaluating the Quality of Waste Cooking Oil by ¹H NMR Spectroscopy

Anjos

Silva

2020

Biodiesel is an important biomass, largely employed in the transport sector and produced from vegetable oils. Additionally, waste cooking oils may be reused to produce biodiesel fuel, minimizing environmental pollution. A laboratory experiment that affords a widespread way to discuss degradation concepts and tools for used vegetable oil characterization is presented. Through evaluation of the edible oil composition from distinct origins (oilseeds, heating types, and local community), an analytic evaluation of the composition and byproducts and a discussion about handling and storage of used vegetable oils was completed. For this purpose, nuclear magnetic resonance analysis was employed as an analytical method to access the waste cooking oil profile and explore the advantages of this versatile and practical spectroscopic technique.