The organic chemistry laboratory provides you with a unique opportunity to do the reactions which you can only read about in your lecture course. Before you begin, you must hone your laboratory safety skills. Next, you must learn the techniques basic to organic chemistry research. Finally you will be able to run experiments in organic chemistry.
These organic chemistry web pages illustrate in pictures the techniques of organic chemistry, as well as safety issues, glassware and equipment, laboratory notebooks, and spectroscopy. The pages link directly to Internet sites which provide information on chemicals used in the lab.
These same organic chemistry topics are covered in the required text for the laboratory courses: Handbook for Organic Chemistry Lab (by Patty Feist, CU Chemistry Department, latest edition is the 6th, 2002). They are also covered in Organic Laboratory Techniques (Fessenden, Fessenden, and Feist, 3rd edition, Brooks/Cole, 2000 -- this is the "Lab Text" referred to in the table below).
Note: Answers to the study questions at the end of each Handbook chapter are given:
Once the techniques are mastered, you are ready to do experiments. Eventually we hope to have illustrations of each lab experiment on this site.
We made several in-house movies on organic laboratory techniques and safety. Please see the Movie Page.
| web page on this site | topics covered | corresponding chapter in Handbook | corresponding chapter(s) in Lab Text |
| Laboratory Safety | Chemical hygiene safety plan and links to OSHA regulations on laboratory safety
Eye safety and other personal protection equipment Overview of how to handle flammable, volatile, health hazardous, and corrosive chemicals Glassware safety Emergency response Waste Chemical Handling |
1: Safety in the Laboratory
3: Waste Chemical Handling |
1: Introduction to the Organic Chemistry Laboratory
waste chemicals not really covered |
| Hazards of Chemicals |
Where to find chemical hazard information, or go directly to the Properties of Organic Compounds or the MSDS page Toxicology terms, or go directly to the toxicology nomenclature page Chemical labels: how to understand them "Right to Know" laws |
2: Hazards of Chemicals | 1: Introduction to the Organic Chemistry Laboratory
Appendix III: Health Hazards of Compounds Used in Organic Chemistry |
| Hazard and Physical Data for Compounds | where to find physical properties and hazard information, both on the web and in printed books: emphasis on links to Internet sources of chemical data | Appendix V: Physical Data of Compounds Used in Organic Chemistry Labs | 17: The Chemical Literature |
| Properties of solvents, acids, bases, salts: a quick reference on this site.
Complete Physical Data table from the Handbook for Organic Chemistry Lab, 5th edition. |
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| Glassware and equipment | Description of each piece of glassware or equipment. Included in the description is where the item should be located, the replacement cost, care and use of the item. | 4: Glassware and Equipment | 1: Introduction to the Organic Chemistry Laboratory |
| Lab Reports | How to keep a lab notebook. | 5: The Organic Chemistry Laboratory Notebook | 1: Introduction to the Organic Chemistry Laboratory |
| web page on this site | topics covered | corresponding chapter in Handbook | corresponding chapter(s) in Lab Text |
| Melting Points | Melting point determination, melting point apparatuses. | 6: Melting Points | 2: Melting Points |
| Distillation | Boiling point overview, how to do simple and fractional distillations. | 7:Distillation | 5-8: Simple, Fractional, Vacuum, and Steam Distillation |
| Extraction | How to do a liquid-liquid extraction. | 8: Extraction | 3: Extraction |
| Crystallization | How to do a crystallization. | 9: Crystallization | 1: Crystallization |
| Filtration | Gravity and vacuum filtration. | 10: Filtration | 1: Crystallization |
| Drying Organic Solutions | How to dry organic solutions. | 11: Drying Organic Solutions | 4: Drying Organic Solutions |
| Chromatography | Chromatography overview. Links to:
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12: Chromatography | 11, 12, 13: Column, Thin-Layer, and Gas Chromatography |
| Solvent Removal | Removing solvent by distillation, evaporation, reduced pressure evaporation, and rotary evaporation. | 13: Solvent Removal | |
| Vacuum Systems | How to use the mechanical vacuum systems and the water aspirators. |
Miscellaneous animations pertinent to organic chem lab on the University of Akron, Dept of Chem, Hardy Research Group web site:
This section is "under construction". So far:
Copyright information: Original content © University of Colorado, Boulder, Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, 1997-2003. The information on these pages is available for academic use without restriction. We do ask that you cite the source of your information. Correspondence should be directed to Patty Feist.
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