Choose Your Own (Green) Adventure: A Solventless Aldol Condensation Experiment for the Organic Chemistry Laboratory

Theresse M. Robinson¹, Melinda C. Box¹ and Maria T. Gallardo-Williams^1,

¹Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, United States

Cite this paper:
Theresse M. Robinson, Melinda C. Box and Maria T. Gallardo-Williams. Choose Your Own (Green) Adventure: A Solventless Aldol Condensation Experiment for the Organic Chemistry Laboratory. World Journal of Chemical Education. 2020; 8(3):104-106. doi: 10.12691/wjce-8-3-1

Abstract

Aldol condensation reactions are routinely used in organic chemistry teaching labs. In this experiment, we developed a greener method for the aldol condensation experiment of the Organic Chemistry II lab at North Carolina State University. To do this, we used the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry, and altered our current procedure to fit as many of them as possible. The main approach used throughout this process was developing aldol condensation reactions that were completely solventless. We currently have a procedure that allows for all possible combinations of two aldehydes: 4-tolualdehyde and 4-anisaldehyde, and two ketones: acetophenone and 4-methylacetophenone. We have developed a method that not only reduces solvent consumption, but also qualifies under 5 other green chemistry principles: prevention of waste, less hazardous chemical synthesis, reduction of derivatives, accident prevention, and atom economy. This new experimental design allows students to choose the compounds they would prefer to use from a list of available reagents therefore allowing a certain degree of lab personalization.

Keywords:
green chemistry sophomore organic lab aldol condensation solventless reactions

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