Reaction of Hydroxide with 4-chloro-1-butanol: Characterization of Products for the Development of an Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory Experiment

Abstract

By Duy Le, Chemistry

Advisor: Christopher Gulgas

Presentation ID: 303

Abstract: The purposes of this research project were centered on the chemical concept of nucleophilicity and electrophilicity in laboratory experiments. The goals of this project were (1) predict all possible products (2) design and customize the reaction between 4-chlorobutan-1-ol and potassium hydroxide (3) characterize the product mixture by using infrared spectroscopy (IR), gas chromatography (GC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Ultimately, the reaction was successful to produce a mixture of nucleophilic substitution products - tetrahydrofuran (THF) and 1,4-butanediol. This research will lead to the development of an undergraduate laboratory experiment where students will predict the product of a reaction and confirm their prediction using their own data. The process of identifying products and the general design of the experiment will be discussed.