A novel approach for the integration of organic extraction, green chemistry, and infrared spectroscopy concepts in undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory

Abstract

In almost all undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory curricula, students are taught the concepts of organic extraction and infrared spectroscopy through some appropriate experiments. In the case of organic extraction, a typical experiment, found in most organic chemistry laboratory manuals, involves the extraction of caffeine from tea. Furthermore, it is common for students to perform infrared spectroscopy in a separate experiment, allowing the student to gain a better understanding of the unique vibrations of distinct functional groups. In this short communication, we report the integration of these laboratory activities into a single activity, which teaches the concepts of green chemistry, organic extraction, and analytical infrared spectroscopy.