Investigating color: A guided inquiry experiment for the sophomore organic chemistry laboratory

CHED 399

Kevin L Pate, patek@marietta.edu and Miranda B Carper, mbc001@marietta.edu. Department of Chemistry, Marietta College, 215 Fifth Street, Marietta, OH 45750
We are currently developing a guided inquiry experiment for the sophomore organic chemistry lab that allows students to investigate the relationship between color and structure via the synthesis of a series of related compounds. Students perform a nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction in order to synthesize a series of compounds with varying degrees of conjugation, corresponding to assorted colors in the visible spectrum. By conducting molecular modeling studies on the various compounds prior to their synthesis, the students can ultimately draw their own conclusions about the relationship between HOMO-LUMO gap and color, long before this topic is discussed in the organic chemistry lecture. This poster will describe the progress we have made toward completion of this experiment.