SELF-MADE GLASS TUBE REACTORS FOR SCHOOL

ORGANIC SYNTHESIS

Denis Zhilin,Moscow Institute for Open Education,School #192,

zhila2000@mail.ru

RATIONALEOrganic synthesis is a learning task

Nobody needs Many of the reagentsits products and products are stinky

Requirements for small scale

Organics dissolves in rubber

No rubber joints! Small glassware is difficult to wash

Throwaway glassware

RATIONALESmall scaleNo jointsThrowaway

+ Does not need water cooling+ Easy to heat+ Requires 0.5-1 g of reactants

Glass tube ( 5mm)reactors!

DIDACTIC BENEFITS+ Skills of glassblowering

EQUIPMENT

Gas burner (camping gas burner gives better flame than Bunsen)

Glass tube 5 mmTest-tube, beaker

And that’s all!

THE SIMPLEST ONE

Replaces heating with condenserExample: esterificationTwo operations, 7-10 minutes to makeUse syringe to fill with liquid or to separate

products

heating

m ixture cooling on air

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

Replaces heating with distillationExamples: decarboxylation; ketone

synthesis of calcium carboxilates15-20 minutes to make

coolingwater

clamp

reaction m ixture

1

2

3

EVEN MORE COMPLICATED

For reaction of vapour at heatingExamples: dehydration of alcohols;

cracking; bromination of hexane30-40 minutes to make

ANOTHER CONSTRUCTION

The purpose is the same, but the heating of the solid state is more gentle

WHERE?Extracurricular course of organic

synthesis:10th grade (15-16 y.o.), accelerated

classes

HAZARDS1. About a half of the novices (15-16 y.o

students) got finger burnsdespite they were warned.

But they didn’t care!2. If the tube is clogged with solid

products or reagents while heating it can collapse with inflammation

3. Wear goggles!!!

DISAPPOINTMENTSWhen the reactor is crashed at the last

bending

HOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT

From simple to complicated apparatus

but

It conflicts with reasonable concept development

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Denis Zhilin,Moscow Institute for Open Education,School #192,

zhila2000@mail.ru