A fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FT-IR) and two thermal conductivity detector gas chromatographs (GC) with integrators will be used in the laboratory portion of an integrated organic chemistry course. It will better understanding of the principles and reactions discussed in the lecture. Several problem-solving experiments will be used. In addition to allowing a significant increase in the number of IR spectra that can be obtained, the quantitative and spectral searching capabilities of the FT-IR will be exploited. The GC will be configured as a thermal reactor and used to run and analyze several reactions. Other uses will include product isolation from microscale reactions and product analysis using electronic integration. The project will impact science education majors and a wide variety of students in other disciplines as well as chemistry majors.
