Students in the undergraduate organic laboratory synthesize tetrahydro-2-(4-nitrophenyl)-4-phenyl-2H-pyran via the Montmorillonite K10 clay-catalyzed reaction of pnitrobenzaldehye with methanol, 3-buten-1-ol, and benzene. The synthesis comprises an environmentally friendly tandem Prins−Friedel−Crafts-type multicomponent reaction (MCR) and sets the stage for investigation of reaction scope through student research projects with other carbonyl substrates.
A one-term synthesis project that incorporates many of the principles of green chemistry is presented for the undergraduate organic laboratory. In this multistep scheme of reactions, students react, recycle, and ultimately convert cyclohexanol to nylon 6,6. The individual reactions in the project employ environmentally friendly methodologies, and the scheme minimizes impact on the environment by reducing waste, using the product of one reaction as the starting material for the next.
A microwave-assisted, one-pot synthesis of a naturally occurring insecticide on basic Montmorillonite K10 is described. The reaction is suitable for incorporation into the undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory course and represents a practical example of green chemistry. The described synthesis employs naturally benign, base-washed Montmorillonite K10 clay as a heterogeneous catalyst, is carried out under solvent-free conditions in a commercial-grade microwave oven, and features several interesting mechanistic considerations, including an electrophilic aromatic addition, dehydration, and intramolecular hetero-Diels–Alder cyclization.
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