Transcript SELF-MADE GLASS TUBE REACTORS FOR SCHOOL ORGANIC SYNTHESIS

SELF-MADE GLASS TUBE
REACTORS FOR SCHOOL
ORGANIC SYNTHESIS
Denis Zhilin,
Moscow Institute for Open Education,
School #192,
[email protected]
RATIONALE
Organic synthesis is a learning task

Nobody needs
Many of the reagents
its products
and products are stinky


Requirements for small scale
Organics dissolves in rubber

Small glassware is
No rubber joints!
difficult to wash

Throwaway glassware
RATIONALE
Small scale
No joints
Throwaway

Glass tube
(  5mm)
reactors!
+ Does not need water cooling
+ Easy to heat
+ Requires 0.5-1 g of reactants
DIDACTIC BENEFITS
+ Skills of glassblowering
EQUIPMENT
Gas burner
(camping gas burner gives
better flame than Bunsen)
Glass tube   5 mm
Test-tube, beaker
And that’s all!
THE SIMPLEST ONE
mixture
cooling on air
heating
Replaces heating with condenser
Example: esterification
Two operations, 7-10 minutes to make
Use syringe to fill with liquid or to separate
products
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
3
reaction
mixture
2
clamp
1
cooling
water
Replaces heating with distillation
Examples: decarboxylation; ketone
synthesis of calcium carboxilates
15-20 minutes to make
EVEN MORE COMPLICATED
For reaction of vapour at heating
Examples: dehydration of alcohols;
cracking; bromination of hexane
30-40 minutes to make
ANOTHER CONSTRUCTION
The purpose is the same, but the heating
of the solid state is more gentle
WHERE?
Extracurricular course of organic
synthesis:
10th grade (15-16 y.o.), accelerated
classes
HAZARDS
1. About a half of the novices (15-16 y.o
students) got finger burns
despite they were warned.
But they didn’t care!
2. If the tube is clogged with solid
products or reagents while heating
it can collapse with inflammation
3. Wear goggles!!!
DISAPPOINTMENTS
When the reactor is crashed at the last
bending
HOW TO AVOID
DISAPPOINTMENT
From simple to complicated apparatus
but
It conflicts with reasonable concept
development
THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION
Denis Zhilin,
Moscow Institute for Open Education,
School #192,
[email protected]