We present a novel guided inquiry
second semester organic chemistry
laboratory rearrangement experiment. Students performed the Favorskii
Rearrangement to obtain methyl cyclopentanecarboxylate in good yields.
The students learned about the individual steps of the Favorskii mechanism
and were required to propose a complete reaction mechanism and product
structure. The students then confirmed the structure of the product
by NMR and IR spectroscopy. This experiment provides students with
experience in running organic chemistry reactions, structure determination,
spectroscopy, general problem solving, and drawing rearrangement mechanisms.
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