Chiral chromatography utilizing post-consumer polylactic acid waste

CHED 392

Shun Yi Tsui, shunyitsui@gmail.com, Jessica E. Haffner, haffner@simmons.edu, Meredith A. McFarland, mcfarlam@simmons.edu, Jennifer N. Boice, jennifer.boice@simmons.edu, Lauren E. Morrell, lauren.morrell@simmons.edu, Katelyn T. Souza, katelyn.souza@simmons.edu, Cassandra Cacoq, cassandra.cacoq@simmons.edu, Gillian L. Petrozziello, gillian.petrozziello@simmons.edu, Nancy E. Lee, nancy.lee@simmons.edu, and Richard W. Gurney, richard.gurney@simmons.edu. Department of Chemistry, Simmons College, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115
Polylactic acid (PLA) has become a valuable commercial commodity and a key example to promote green chemistry education due to its biodegradability and creation from a renewable feedstock. Ethyl lactate was produced by the trans-esterification of post-consumer waste NatureWorks, LLC. cups, from the Simmons College cafeterias. (-)-ethyl L-lactate created in this manner is being used as a chiral mobile phase in column and TLC. Investigation of using (-)-ethyl L-lactate as a chiral mobile phase in separating racemic amino acids and chiral analgesics will be reported. Results from this research will be incorporated into the undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory curriculum.
 

Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Chemical Education
11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008