Resumen de Using Green Chemistry Principles As a Framework To Incorporate Research into the Organic Laboratory Curriculum

Nancy E. Lee, Rich Gurney, Leonard Soltzberg

• Despite the accepted pedagogical value of integrating research into the laboratory curriculum, this approach has not been widely adopted. The activation barrier to this change is high, especially in organic chemistry, where a large number of students are required to take this course, special glassware or setups may be needed, and dangerous chemicals and safety are of special concern. At Simmons College, the organic laboratory curriculum has been revamped by incorporating faculty research on asymmetric reduction of ketones in solvent-free conditions using polylactic acid derivatives. This paper describes the methods for converting from traditional expository laboratories to research-integrated laboratories by incorporating green chemistry principles in the greening of synthetic reactions. Results and assessment of student learning and attitudes are reported.