Synthesis and Metalation of a Ligand: An Interdisciplinary Laboratory Experiment for Second-Year Organic and Introductory Inorganic Chemistry Students

• Published in: Journal of chemical education Vol. 92; no. 6; pp. 1103 - 1109
• Main Authors: Kasting, Benjamin J, Bowser, Andrew K, Anderson-Wile, Amelia M, Wile, Bradley M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Easton American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc 09.06.2015; Division of Chemical Education, Inc and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society; American Chemical Society
• Subjects: Chemical synthesis; Chemistry; College Science; College students; Experiments; Inorganic chemistry; Interdisciplinary Approach; Laboratory Experiments; Ligands; Melting point; Melting points; Metals; NMR spectroscopy; Organic chemistry; Phenols; Reaction mechanisms; Science Experiments; Science Instruction; Science Laboratories; Scientific Concepts; Spectroscopy; Students; Titanium; Hands-On Learning/Manipulatives; NMR Spectroscopy; Spectroscopy; Upper-Division Undergraduate; Coordination Compounds; Laboratory Instruction; Second-Year Undergraduate; Interdisciplinary/Multidisciplinary; Inorganic Chemistry; Organic Chemistry
• ISSN: 0021-9584; 1938-1328
• DOI: 10.1021/ed500802t

An interdisciplinary laboratory experiment involving second-year undergraduate organic chemistry and introductory inorganic chemistry undergraduate students is described. Organic chemistry students prepare a series of amine-bis­(phenols) via a Mannich reaction, and characterize their products using melting point; FTIR; and 1H, 13C, DEPT-135, and HSQC NMR experiments. In the inorganic chemistry laboratory, students utilize these amine ligands to prepare a series of octahedral titanium complexes, and characterize the resultant complexes using FTIR, and 1H, 13C, DEPT-135, and HSQC NMR spectroscopy. Students are asked to revisit concepts such as the two- and three-dimensional representations of their target molecules and reaction mechanisms throughout both experiments. From these experiments, students gain an appreciation for the multidisciplinary nature of chemistry.