A multicomponent reaction was adapted and successfully
applied
in the major organic course, which involves synthesizing and characterizing
a 1,3-benzoxazine derived from paracetamol extracted from tablets
of the worldwide well-known medicine Tylenol. Using paracetamol as
a reagent is a motivational strategy in undergraduate laboratories
to meet the learning goals of training students in solid–liquid
extraction and compound characterization by NMR and FTIR and reaction
mechanism discussions in the context of a multicomponent reaction.
The multifaceted nature of this experiment encourages students to
recognize the potential use of everyday materials as chemical reagents,
while providing insights into modern chemistry concepts.