Chemical Synthesis and Characterisation
8 weeks · 0 milestones
Plan and execute (or rigorously analyse) a chemical synthesis: document the procedure (reagents, quantities, reaction conditions, safety precautions), isolation methodology, percentage yield calculation, and full characterisation data (melting or boiling point, spectroscopic data including at least one of NMR, IR, or MS). The proof is the lab notebook record or equivalent documentation plus characterisation data with comparison to published literature values. For students without lab access, the accessible alternative is a rigorous comparative analysis of characterisation data from ChemSpider, Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC — free for academic use), or SDBS for a named literature compound — documenting each characterisation value, comparison to the reference, and what discrepancies would indicate about purity or identity. Reviewed by a chemist who challenges the characterisation interpretation, specifically asking about discrepancies between measured and reference values and what they indicate about the sample.
Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Design a synthesis route for a specific organic or inorganic compound and complete a comprehensive safety and risk assessment before any experimental work. Accessible alternative: if physical laboratory access is unavailable, select a published reaction and design a computational analysis of spectroscopic properties and reaction mechanism using free open databases — the proof standard is identical for both routes.
Proof required
Submit your synthesis route (step-by-step reaction scheme with reagents, conditions, and expected intermediates), a COSHH or equivalent safety assessment listing all hazardous substances and control measures, and a brief justification for why this route was chosen over alternatives.
What gets checked
- Synthesis route names specific reagents and conditions at each step — not 'add reducing agent' but 'add NaBH4 (1.2 equiv) in MeOH at 0°C'
- Safety assessment identifies hazards for each named reagent and product — not a generic lab safety statement
- Route justification addresses why an alternative approach was not preferred — demonstrates genuine understanding of the chemistry