Dedicated microwave reactors have become standard equipment in industrial labs, and microwave-assisted organic synthesis (MAOS) is increasingly well represented in the chemistry education literature. Thanks to the very short reaction times afforded by MAOS, organic lab curricula can be designed to incorporate inquiry-based approaches while still maintaining a broad synthetic repertoire.
In this workshop, participants will gain hands-on experience using dedicated microwave reactors to complete organic laboratory protocols, and can immediately determine the outcomes using a variety of analytical instruments (HPLC, FT-IR and/or NMR). The workshop will explore strategies for adapting conventional lab experiments to MAOS conditions. Curriculum design parameters and implementation factors will also be discussed.
