Integrating authentic research into the general chem lab: Ionic liquids module

CHED 1837

Gary W. Earl, earl@wise.augie.edu1, Brian G. Moore1, Duane E. Weisshaar1, Miles Koppang, mkoppang@usd.edu2, and Krisma DeWitt, kdewitt@mtmc.edu3. (1) Department of Chemistry, Augustana College, 2001 S. Summit Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57197, (2) Department of Chemistry, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069, (3) Department of Natural Sciences, Mount Marty College, 1105 West 8th Street, Yankton, SD 57078
In an attempt to find more environmentally friendly reagents for quaternization reactions, dimethyl carbonate has been used to quaternize several representative tertiary amines. Surprisingly, these quaternary methyl carbonates are all low melting solids or liquids at RT, i.e. ionic liquids. The topic to bring research into the honors general chemistry laboratory at Augustana College was the determination of physical properties and uses for these newly synthesized materials. In the five week project, the students learned to work in groups, to keep a research notebook, to begin a literature search on SciFinder Scholar, and how to use a variety of new techniques and equipment. More importantly, the student learned how to attack a problem for which neither the professor nor the student knew the answer. The final product was a group report of results followed by group oral presentations to the class and the research faculty.
 

Bringing Research to the Undergraduate Course Curriculum
1:00 PM-4:05 PM, Thursday, March 29, 2007 McCormick Place North -- Room N227B, Level 2, Oral

Division of Chemical Education

The 233rd ACS National Meeting, Chicago, IL, March 25-29, 2007